Uri Savir, who was Israeli chief negotiator for the Oslo Accords, has long had a passion for peace in the Middle East. His book, Peace First (2008), features a foreword by Shimon Peres, who was the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Oslo negotiations, and an afterword by Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala), who was the Palestinian chief negotiator. In this Special Report, Vision publisher David Hulme speaks to these key peace architects among others as he explores the roles of identity and ideology in the Middle East conflict.
Building Peace
Career diplomat Uri Savir discusses the premise of his book, Peace First, with Vision publisher and Mideast scholar David Hulme. This interview is Savir’s second for Vision. The first (“Peace Talk”) appeared in the Spring 2000 issue.
Peace Talk: Uri Savir
Vision interviews key players in the Middle East peace talks.
Peace Talk: Abu Ala
Vision interviews key players in the Middle East peace talks.
Peace Talk: Effie Eitam, MK
Middle East scholar David Hulme interviews another key player in that region's ongoing conflict, Knesset member Effie Eitam.
Jerusalem: City of Peace?
David Hulme, publisher of Vision, interviews Shimon Peres, former prime minister of Israel, member of the Knesset and founder of the Peres Center for Peace. The following is a transcript of the interview.
The Tale of Two Cities
Vision interviews Afif Safieh, a leading PLO representative for a Palestinian perpsective on how Jerusalem can have peace.
Jerusalem: The Fragile Mosaic
In an interview with Vision, historian Bernard Wasserstein offers a Jewish perspective on the importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and on the likelihood of a peaceful resolution of the "Jerusalem Question."
Insight: Two Men, One City
Why has Jerusalem been such a stumbling block in peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis? Two surprising events immediately following the Six-Day War serve as a symbol of the deep-rooted ties to Jerusalem of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the former PLO president, Yasser Arafat.
Reflections:
The Israel-Lebanon Vortex and the Challenge to Identities
The short-term political goals of either side in the deepening crisis in southern Lebanon may be achieved by military strategy, but more violence will ultimately deepen the problem in the long run. The solution to a lasting peace requires deep change and it must start with leadership. David Hulme examines the crisis in light of new theories about how minds can be dramatically changed.
Insight: A Vision for the New Middle East?
Shimon Peres continues to break the mold. In his own words he has shifted from being a “terrible hawk” to espousing the cause of peace.
City of Peace in Pieces
Both Palestinians and Israelis claim a right to the eternal city, but what makes the issue so contentious?
A New Moderation in the Middle East?
There is a new optimism that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be resolved. But can peace emerge from the thicket of thorny issues surrounding this age-old conflict?
Causes of Conflict
Middle East scholar David Hulme covers how identity, ideology and other moral issues in society fuel the Middle East conflict.
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