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Article: A Pessimist's Peace Plan; Does It Take a War to Get Arabs and Israelis to the Bargaining Table?
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 31, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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"THE ONLY moments for creative diplomacy in the Middle East come
after wars," a Reagan administration official remarked several years
ago, at a time when there was both peace and diplomatic paralysis.
Perhaps this official feels more encouraged today.
Israel and the Palestinians have been fighting a kind of war
during the last two months in the West Bank and Gaza. It doesn't
look like a war, because only one side is carrying guns, but anyone
who doubts that the rock-throwing Palestinians would kill Israeli
soldiers if they could underestimates their resolve. What's
intriguing is that this latest Arab-Israeli conflict-like those of
1967, 1973 and 1982-has created space in which diplomats ...