Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Resolution Strategies for Diplomacy & Peacebuilding | Political Science & International Relations

For the reader who is already well versed in the Oslo and Camp David II negotiations much of this book will be rehash because much of the information is a thumbnail sketch of the negotiations, so in that sense the book isn't revelatory at all, but what the book does do very well is give readers insight into why the negotiations played out the way they did. One of the aspects of these negotiations that is so wrenching is the fact that so many times the two sides came so very close to agreement that it seemed to be an assured thing, but then failure would inexorably but freed from the jaws of success time and time again. For those who read in detail about these negotiations or study them intimately it is excruciating.What this book does is help answer some of those questions about why the two sides could come so close only to see, seemingly, trivial items lead to failure. Tamara Cofman Wittes brings experts from the U.S., Palestinian and Israeli perspective into this volume to discuss the cultural problems that confronted each side in their respective negotiations. Once again for the intitiated reader much of this will be common knowledge such as Israeli over reliance on security matters, to Palestinian paracholiasm and back biting, to the U.S.'s misunderstanding of the needs of both sides, but this work focuses in on these factors and eplores them exclusively which really brings them into a new light. Instead of isolated incidents creating small ripples in the negotiating waters, one really sees how these cultural cues had a much larger role to play becoming waves that helped to sink the negotiations.What is really good about this work is that each expert really explores their sides mistakes with an honesty rarely found in this dispute. This honesty and focus provides a clarity to the role cultural elements play in this dispute. I found this work to be highly enlightening and a very quick read as well. All four contributors write do a great job, and Tamara Cofman Wittes does and excellent job tying all the threads into a single idea that is cogent and powerful. I definitely recommend this important book.