The U.S mediation team's role in Camp David II. (c2018)

Abstract

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict dates back to 1882 with the first Jewish immigration to Palestine and its intensification in the 1900s. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict eventually escalated and expanded to include other Arab countries in the Middle East. Several wars and violent confrontations ensued between the Palestinians and Israelis. After several attempts at reaching a peaceful settlement failed, a last-ditch effort was made by the United States under the Clinton administration, whose main foreign policy objective was peace in the Middle East. This attempt culminated in the Camp David Peace Summit in 2000, also known as Camp David II, mediated by the United States and more importantly President Clinton himself. After 15 days of negotiations, the summit failed, and violence continues to this day. This thesis examines the role of the American mediation team led by President Clinton during the Camp David II summit to determine whether their role was constructive or disruptive for the negotiations.