Peace talks tend to elicit much attention when they take place, as they highlight the human need to end conflict. However, the focus on these conferences largely ignores that they are not in themselves serious attempts to end fighting, and that peace negotiations require a great deal of patience.
Peace processes are multidimensional and incredibly complex. They have to consider trade-offs like when to focus on security reform at the cost of stability or the tension between amnesty and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs. Furthermore, they often need to address questions of the legacy of war and truth. Lastly, peace processes must balance competing priorities like political transition, economic reconstruction, and future political arrangements.
These considerations have a substantial impact on the outcome of negotiations. A number of factors influence how successful a peace process is, including the willingness of the belligerents to negotiate. It’s also crucial that the participants believe that they have more to gain from a peaceful resolution than they would from continuing to fight.
How a peace treaty is formulated is another major factor. For example, the Israeli government felt that it could not reach a settlement with Palestinians until the Palestinians agreed to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This was a condition that Hamas and Hezbollah had demanded. In turn, this made the Israeli government skeptical that an agreement with Palestinians was even possible. Moreover, suicide attacks by Palestinians continued to fuel Israel’s skepticism about achieving an agreement.