Newswise — Will the Mideast peace conference make a difference or is it simply a public relations campaign? Central Michigan University experts on the Middle East agree that given the history of these types of talks, the Annapolis, Md., conference that began Tuesday, Nov. 27, is simply to appease the public. These experts are available for commentary on the issue.
SOURCE:Moataz Fattah, assistant professor of political science
http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/political_science/faculty/fattah.htm
Fattah's initial thoughts:"A quick look at this 30-year cycle of events might help us figure how complicated the situation is and why we might not really achieve much through the Annapolis Middle East conference. Each 30 years, in the same month, there has been an attempt to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. The conflict is so protracted and overlapping that it cannot be solved with an even-handed attitude on the part of the mediator and a strong commitment on the part of the parties to build trust and work together. This conference most likely will be nothing more than a public relations campaign that will not change much on the ground."
Moataz Fattah is an authority on the political economy of the Middle East, Islam and politics, the history of Islamic thought, and quantitative analysis. He has written numerous articles and books on Arab affairs and Middle Eastern issues and conducted many television and radio interviews on these topics. Along with faculty positions at both Central Michigan University and Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Fattah currently holds positions with the Arab Electronic Library, the Program of Dialogue among Civilizations at Cairo University, Partners in Development Think Tank and is an information consultant for the Arab League's Arab Women Organization.
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SOURCE:John Robertson, professor of history
Robertson's initial thoughts:"After years of tracking Israeli-Palestinian relationships and exploring their longer history, I can only view the Annapolis conference as one of those feel-good moments manufactured for public consumption and as one recent notice put it, an opportunity for an "iconic" photo like the one of Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands on the White House lawn in 1993, with Bill Clinton literally pulling them toward each other. On Tuesday it was Ehud Olmert and Mahmud Abbas shaking hands, embraced by George W. Bush. The 1993 handshake marked the agreement of the famous Oslo Accords, of which much was hoped, but from which little was produced because of opposition to it by factions from both sides. The same will happen here, with the initial hopes of progress much less realistic. The three leaders involved in 2007 are incomparably weaker politically than the three of 1993."
John Robertson is an authority on the history and cultures of the Middle East, from its earliest civilizations to the present. He teaches history courses on Iraq and Iran, as well as on the wider Middle East region. His recent op-eds, published comments and on-air interviews have dealt with Arab-Israeli relations, U.S. and European relations with Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq and Iran, and recent Middle Eastern history and current events.
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SOURCE:Alper Dede, instructor of political science
http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/political_science/faculty/dede.htm
Dede's initial thoughts:"The Annapolis meetings can potentially lead to groundbreaking results about the Israeli-Palestinian problem which has been around since 1948. One interesting fact about the talks is that two major political actors of the Middle East also are attending the peace conference: Syria and Saudi Arabia. Since last year, some Israeli and Palestinian politicians have been seriously talking about a "two-state" solution. So, I think the major focus of the peace talks is going to be the terms and conditions of this two-state solution which will create an independent Palestinian state."
Alper Yilmaz Dede is an authority on the relationship between religion and politics in Middle Eastern countries. He specializes in U.S. foreign policy, Middle East politics, Islam and politics, the history of Islam, Islam as a religion, and the role of the United States in the Middle East.
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