Abstract
Ambassador Johnston received the counterproposals from both the Arab and Israeli sides through diplomatic channels, and they were worlds apart. The difficult task of reconciliation would soon commence, and it was done through more contacts, visits and more intensive diplomacy. The Arabs would not meet the Israelis face to face, because none of the Arab states recognized Israel and a state of war still prevailed since the day of Israel’s creation. A host of issues clouded the atmosphere, of which, the cause of the Palestinian refugees and their right of return ranked high. The United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 194 on 11 December 1948 asserting in paragraph 11 the right of the Palestinian refugees to repatriation or compensation. The political environment in the Middle East and the fast development of events had important impacts on Johnston’s mission. A brief general overview of the situation in the region is presented below, along with a rundown on the topics of negotiations. This overview is not meant to be an academic, historical review of that era, but is meant to refer to the political events and issues that affected the mood of the peoples and governments of the region. Those, in turn, impacted the talks that Johnston conducted. It should be noted that the diplomatic skills for which Mr. Johnston was famed made a real difference. Interesting also was the moderating stand of Egypt, which helped materially in achieving substantial progress.
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References
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Haddadin, M.J. (2002). Attempts at Reconciliation — Johnston’s Shuttle Diplomacy. In: Diplomacy on the Jordan. Natural Resource Management and Policy, vol 21. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1513-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1513-5_3
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