The role of the United States in Syrian-Israeli negotiations: 1990--present

In the last two decades, there has been little direct negotiation between Syria and Israel, marking a conflict that remains rooted in and stagnated by distrust and conflicting claims to territory. Today's conventional wisdom suggests that Syrian-Israeli peace talks are ongoing, but there is little concrete evidence that supports that position. In preparation for peace talks, it is important to review the progress and stumbling blocks of previous Syrian-Israeli negotiations, and determine what new strategies, if any, can be employed in the future. Since the United States has served as the leading communication facilitator between Syria and Israel, this paper focuses on the U.S.'s role as a mediator and makes recommendation for its future mediation efforts. Through an analysis of the core concepts of mediation theory, it provides an overall framework and definition of mediation, and hones in on key characteristics of the ideal mediator: impartiality, status and leverage. This paper adds a thorough overview of the history of both the conflict itself, and U.S. mediation efforts from 1990 to the present. This allows for a better understanding of the positions and interests of each party, and sheds light on the challenges to identifying a ripe moment for intervention. Finally, in reviewing the many roles and strategies that can be utilized by a mediator, it is clear that American mediation efforts would benefit from: (1) utilizing leverage to a greater degree, (2) being more purposeful in the management and facilitation of talks, and (3) increasing the communication among all parties with regard to the framework and vision of future Syrian-Israeli negotiations.