Entrenchment of the status quo in the Arab-Israeli conflict

Abstract

This study examines those endemic factors which contribute to the entrenchment of the status quo in the Arab-Israeli conflict. By removing the dynamics of the Cold War, the particular circumstances of the main actors- Israel, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Syria, the United States and the United Nations--become apparent. It is the thesis of this paper that the underlying causes in the creation and perpetuation of the Arab-Israeli conflict include (1) the importance of ideology and security to Israel, (2) a lack of political will among the players to alter the status quo, (3) a plethora of systemic organizational constraints, and (4) limitations faced by the UN that inhibit its usefulness as an intermediary. While compelling arguments should move the actors toward a resolution of the conflict, particularly when a window of opportunity now exists in the aftermath of Desert Storm, the factors cited above comprise powerful counterforces which both serve to sustain Israel's de facto borders and provide a pretext for Arab hostility.