Jerusalem and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process.
Abstract:
The disposition of Jerusalem is among the handful of final status issues to be negotiated between Israel and the PLO according to the 1993 Declaration of Principles the Oslo Accord. This thesis argues that, unlike other final status issues that are more technical and bilateral in nature, the issue and symbolism of Jerusalem are so entangled in domestic political processes that negotiated, bilateral resolution has become virtually impossible. That is, Jerusalem has become a defining issue within both domestic Israeli and domestic Palestinian political discourse and processes that resolving it equitably has become problematic even in the best of circumstances. While there is no shortage of creative, viable plans to share Jerusalem, there is a shortage of the domestic political space necessary to negotiate its resolution. As a general rule, the more a disputed issue between polities becomes a domestic political issue within the polities, the less likely it becomes to resolve it through bilateral negotiations.