Road to Camp David and beyond: Ripeness and Third-party Mediation of the Israeli-Egyptian Conflict

This thesis analyses the conflict resolution process between Israel and Egypt and provides a new angle for explaining the signing of the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty. Author uses a case study research method that facilitates an in-depth analysis of the topic and answers to three selected research questions: Why did long-lasting hostile countries engage in the negotiations to resolve their conflict?, How did Jimmy Carter mediate the Camp David Summit? and What persuaded Israel and Egypt to finalize the peace treaty?. The thesis is divided into two main analytical parts, according to the theoretical model used for its examination of the research questions. The first part makes use of William I. Zartman's theory of ripeness and its concept of a "mutually hurting stalemate" to explain why two opposing parties might become gradually open towards finding a "way out" from their protracted conflict. By analysing these conditions to reach a "ripe moment", the third-party may produce substantial proposals to resolve their dispute. The second part of this thesis focuses on the mediation process of the U.S. President Jimmy Carter between September 1978 and March 1979. The umbrella theory of third-party mediation is employed to elucidate the mediation strategies, potential biases and leverage of Jimmy..