Resources & Tools

September 2009 | Peace Briefing by Barbara Zasloff, Adina Shapiro, and A. Heather Coyne

Education plays a critical role in preparing communities for change and has made important contributions to post-conflict reconciliation in numerous war-torn societies, yet education issues have largely been excluded from past efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  A new USIP report argues why an education track should be included in the negotiations phase and in the text of an agreement itself, and puts forward practical recommendations on how Israelis and Palestinians – and the international community – can move forward with a successful peace process that incorporates education.

Map of Golan Heights (Courtesy: CIA)
July 2009 | Peace Briefing by Yehuda Greenfield-Gilat

The widely discussed Syrian-Israeli peace park concept is rooted in the assumption that Syrian and Israeli "good will" for cooperation is sufficient to mobilize a long- lasting, firm peace treaty between the two countries. The current discussions on a layout for a peace park provide a description of the mechanisms that will control and maintain the park, but fail to provide the insights for how to keep these mechanisms functioning in one, five or ten years into the future.

Credit: The New York Times/Tyler Hicks
June 2009 | Special Report by Paul Scham and Osama Abu-Irshaid

 Hamas's landslide victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections of January 2006 came as an unwelcome and unexpected shock to both Middle Eastern and international regimes, with the organization winning nearly 58 percent of the Palestinian Legislative Council seats. The United States, a number of European nations, and Israel had all issued clear warnings before the elections that they would not deal with a Palestinian Authority led by Hamas.

Credit: USIP
April 2009

This book explores the role of interfaith dialogue in the polarized climate of the Middle East by focusing on four different settings: Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. The analysis demonstrates the value of interfaith dialogue and the extent to which religious communities are successfully connecting with each other.

Credit: File Photo
March 2009 | Special Report by Frederic C. Hof

Although the Palestinian-Israeli “track” of the Arab-Israeli dispute remains at the heart of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors, the very complexity of that track (Jerusalem, refugees, borders, etc.) has led some to consider the Israeli-Syrian track to be relatively simple and straightforward. While simple it is not and straightforward it is only in relative terms, the Syrian-Israeli conflict can indeed be settled without prejudice to the central act of the Arab-Israeli drama.

Credit: File Photo
March 2009 | Peace Briefing by Alistair Harris

As the international community continues to debate humanitarian assistance to Gaza, USIP examines “Reconstructing Gaza – Lessons from Lebanon” by Beirut-based Alistair Harris, a Deployable Civilian Expert for the British Government’s Stabilisation Unit. Harris argues that donors should avoid the temptation to adopt a mechanistic, one size fits all solution. “In the rush to rebuild what was destroyed, it should be remembered,” writes Harris, “that the major catalysts for this conflict were political and economic. As such, the reconstruction effort must ensure that viable employment initiatives form part of the post-conflict stabilization plan. This was very much a man-made humanitarian disaster,” concludes the report. “If the underlying issues are not addressed, unfortunately renewed conflict would seem inevitable.”

Credit: File Photo
February 2009

The recent war in Gaza has again underscored the tensions involved in brokering sustainable peace in the Middle East. USIP has actively explored the critical role neighboring countries in the Middle East play in the success of creating peace throughout the region. In this "On the Issues," USIP presents a collection of resources and tools about the role of Syria in peacebuilding efforts. Building upon the foundation started in 2005 with the Syrian Working Group, USIP has held a number of recent events, activities, and programs resulting the development of some recent resources.

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April 2008 | Book by Daniel C. Kurtzer and Scott B. Lasensky
As Washington struggles to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process, Kurtzer and Lasensky offer the definitive guidebook on how to broker peace in the Middle East.
 
February 2008
June 2007 | Peace Briefing by Dr. Scott Lasensky

The recent Hamas takeover of Gaza has led to calls for greater international intervention. With prominent figures calling for an international force in Gaza and along the Gaza-Egypt border to halt arms trafficking, what are the demands, options, and obstacles for international intervention scenarios?