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Reasonable Responses, Part III

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President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has opened up his country to the Arab leaders of the region in an attempt to salvage the flagging peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. This move is an admirable one and helps to increase the prestige of the Egyptian leader, especially within Israel where Egypt has been seen as a cold partner in peace, rather than a more active participant in the peace partner. It is arguable that King Hussein of Jordan has become the pre-emient spokesperson of the continued peace process due to his efforts to bring about a warm peace between Jordan and Israel.

Increasing prestige is a method used by negotiators to enhance their bargaining power and make the other negotiators feel at a perceived disadvantage. President Mubarak is keenly aware that his prestige within the Arab World is closely tied to his visibility as a leader of the Arab World in the peace process with the Israelis. King Hussein has done an admirable job of leading Jordan to the forefront of the peace process and many within the United States and Israel see Jordan as being the prime peace partner in the future, not Egypt. Jordan has received additional aid and support from the United States for its leadership role in the peace process so King Hussein has a vested interest in the continuation of, and a successful resolution to, the peace process.

Secretary of State Madeline Albright's appearence in the region to resurrect the negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinian Authority is an important, but not crucial step in rebuilding the relationship between the Palestinian Authority and Israelis. No matter how much the parties talk about their differences, without significant concessions on the part of both the Israelis and Palestinians, the stalemate in the peace process will continue.

Concessions are a major part of negotiations and sometimes they can be major, such as giving back major parcels of land in the West Bank as was negotiated in the earlier agreements. Minor concessions include the granting of rights to Palestinian Authority planes to overfly certain areas of Israel. Minor concessions can be sold by the party making the concession as a major concession depending on the strategy. If the Israelis fought tooth and nail over every last issue, they can make any concession seem like a major accomplishment. This appears to be the strategy they are sticking to thus far. It also makes any concessions the Palestinian Authority wins seem to be a major win for the Palestinians even though they may be more symbolic.

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