Chapter 4: Big Dream/Small Hope: A Peace Vision

Palestinians and Israelis disagree over the peace issue because they view it in two diametrically opposed contexts—that is, with different beliefs, interests and values in mind. When competing actors—that is,Palestinians and Israe-lis—place the peace issue in their own conflicting contexts, decisions by policymakers to give more weight to one context than another typically determines the outcome of the dispute...pushing it more in the direction of war and conflict rather than in the direction of peace and conciliation. Putting Israeli security needs above Palestinian national needs resulted in making peace illusive since one party viewed its own values and needs above those of the other. One-sided total security in the long run is a theoretical and practical impossibility, unless the opponent is wholly annihilated.