The Arab-Israeli conflict is generally considered a political and military confrontation between Israeli and neighboring Arab countries. Negotiations and agreements between the two sides therefore tend to concentrate on official matters such as diplomatic recognition, security measures, and other formal aspects of interstate relations.
Unlike their Israeli counterparts, Arab citizens have demonstrated little ability to influence their governments’ decision-making process. Recent global political and economic changes, however have begun to infiltrate the political environment of the Arab world. The existing political systems in the region are increasingly being called into question and Arab governments are gradually confronting domestic issues related to political representation, participation, and legitimacy.
In this Policy Paper Hilal Khashan seeks to examine popular Arab views on matters related to peace and normalization with Israel. Professor Khashan, uses polling data not merely to gauge the level of popular Arab support for (or opposition to) peace, but to assess the reasons for these views and thereby to determine the likelihood of greater support for peace in the future.
