The Fourth Stage of the Arab-Israel Conflict
Alan Dowty
University of Notre Dame
|
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has passed through three major stages since its origins in nineteenth-century Ottoman Turkey: from a collision between two communities in Palestine, to an interstate conflict between Israel and Arab states, to the re-emergence of the Palestinians as the major actor opposite Israel. Since the turn of the 21st century, a fourth stage appears to be emerging, rooted in religious militancy, the rise of non-state actors, and changes in the nature of warfare. As Professor Dowty illustrates in this talk, such developments complicate the chances of reaching a two-state settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict.
Alan Dowty is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, and Senior Associate for Middle East Studies of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. In 2003-2006, he was the first holder of the Kahanoff Chair in Israeli Studies at the University of Calgary, and in 2004-2006 he was President of the Association for Israel Studies. Professor Dowty is a graduate of Shimer College and the University of Chicago, where he received his Ph.D. in 1963. From 1963-1975, he was on the faculty of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, during which time he served as Executive Director of the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations and Chairman of the Department of International Relations. He has published widely on the Arab-Israel conflict, Israeli politics, U.S. foreign policy, weapons of mass destruction, international freedom of movement, and international enforcement. |