Between 2009 and 2011, a team of U.S. negotiators came historically close to realizing a Syrian-Israeli peace agreement by seizing on an alignment of interests in Damascus, Jerusalem and Washington. As a member of that negotiating team, Ambassador Fred Hof provides a candid look at this near-success — and its tragic unraveling — in his new book from USIP Press, “Reaching for the Heights: The Inside Story of a Secret Attempt to Reach a Syrian-Israeli Peace.” 

Ambassador Hof’s firsthand account of the secret talks highlights the groundbreaking possibilities of smart, patient and strategic diplomacy. As such, it raises broader questions surrounding U.S. efforts to broker peace, such as: What are the prerequisites for a successful negotiation? What are examples of creative diplomatic tools and processes? And when best-laid plans fall short, what is ultimately in the third party’s control? 

On July 12, USIP and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy hosted a discussion reflecting on Ambassador Hof’s experience trying to broker Syrian-Israeli peace and what it can tell us about the possibilities and limitations of American conflict mediation. The conversation also looked back on the consistent and the unpredictable elements of successful negotiations in the Middle East, Balkans, Colombia and Africa, and drew lessons from past successes, failures and near-misses. To this end, Ambassador Hof was joined by four former senior American negotiators, to reflect on the elements of past successful negotiations in the Middle East, Balkans, Colombia and Africa, and draw lessons applicable to future peace processes.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #BrokeringPeaceUSIP

Hear a one-on-one interview with Ambassador Hof in our Event Extra podcast.

Speakers

Lise Grande, welcoming remarks
President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace 

Ambassador Barbara K. Bodine
Director & Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy; Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy

Ambassador Frederic C. Hof
Diplomat in Residence, Bard College

Dr. Chester A. Crocker
James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies, Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy

Dr. Daniel Serwer 
Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies 

Ambassador Bernard W. Aronson
Managing Partner, ACON Investments
 

Latest Publications

What a Transitional Government in Haiti will Require to Succeed

What a Transitional Government in Haiti will Require to Succeed

Thursday, March 28, 2024

By: Nicolás Devia-Valbuena;  Keith Mines

After weeks of consultations, and amidst a near total breakdown of law and order in Haiti, a Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-led effort to create a new transitional governing council may be nearing completion. The council’s establishment would allow for the entry of a multinational security force that would then be able to join with the Haitian National Police and restore order. Some have suggested the inclusion of “enablers” for the new security force — air support, drones, intelligence. But to gain the trust of the Haitian people, the new governing council will need its own popular “enablers,” a systematic way to include many more sectors of Haitian society that are currently ignored or deliberately excluded from governance.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Promoting Peace and Stability in the Americas through Religious Freedom

Promoting Peace and Stability in the Americas through Religious Freedom

Thursday, March 28, 2024

By: Knox Thames

The Western Hemisphere is generally known for protecting freedom of religion or belief. With a few notable exceptions, the countries of the region all enshrine religious freedom at the constitutional level and protect it through laws and policies. But in recent years, authoritarian governments in South America have increasingly viewed religious actors as threats to their regime’s survival and tried to control or crush independent religious activity.

Type: Analysis

Religion

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.;  Gavin Helf, Ph.D.;  Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.;  Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By: Robert Barron

On March 25, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 2728, calling for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. The motion’s passage came after weeks of back and forth and posturing among the UNSC’s permanent and rotating members. The exact phrasing of the resolution and its relevance to the situation on the ground, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations — particularly U.S.-Israel ties — have been the subject of heavy public and media attention since Monday, raising questions about the resolution’s subtext, intent and limitations. USIP’s Robert Barron looks at these questions.

Type: Question and Answer

Global PolicyPeace Processes

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Angela Stent

While ISIS has claimed responsibility for the devastating terror attack in Moscow, Putin has baselessly tried to shift the blame to Ukraine, says USIP’s Angela Stent: “[Putin] wants to use this to increase repression at home … and also to pursue a more aggressive path in Ukraine.”

Type: Podcast

View All Publications