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Peace Process - A New Chapter
This also marks the first article on Middle East politics in over a year after running a topic on Internet Law. So -- without further ado, let us jump right into the heart of the matter. There has been a lot of talk about the negotiations ongoing between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. These negotiations have been set against a backdrop of a looming deadline that was arbitrarily set. The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, wanted to get a final status agreement done in short order and the Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasir Arafat has stated that if things do not go in the PA's favor, that he would unilaterally declare statehood. The question here is whether setting arbitrary deadlines is a good one. Deadlines can spur people to think creatively and come to a resolution on a long standing problem. It can be a constructive tool when used properly and when both sides see the deadline as a realistic and credible point in time. If the deadline is not credible or realistic, negotiations that focus on the deadline will not be nearly as successful. When one side chooses to use a deadline as a threat for action, that side needs to be seen as realistically carrying out that threat. If the threat is not credible, then the deadline will not be seen as credible. The threat of action or inaction on behalf of one of the parties has to been seen by the other party and the other side must recognize that this threat is not bluster or a negotiating trick. If both sides in the negotiation use deadlines as a trick or have used them as tricks in the past, then the usage of deadlines in the future will be compromised because there will be a lack of trust between the parties. These negotiating postures are useful not only in the realm of international relations and the Middle East peace process but in everyday affairs. If you follow the news and hear about strike deadlines or deadlines for work product, you need to understand the nature of the deadline and how much flexibility is behind the deadline. Are there going to be serious consequences by missing the deadline or can the deadline be move so that you can reach a solution and agreement? In the case of the Israelis and Palestinians, both sides need to appraise the deadlines they have set and recognize that the negotiating tool they are using can cut both ways. It would be in their best interest to set reasonable deadlines while working to get the task at hand done before the deadline is reached. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Peace Process - A New Chapter in Middle East Politics is owned by . Permission to republish Peace Process - A New Chapter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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