THE SHIFTING APPROACH TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: THE ROLE OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

This thesis investigates the role of civil society in the conflict resolution mechanisms in the framework of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between 1993 and 2020. Civil society is understood as a variety of public-oriented associations that are not considered the official governing institutions of the state such as different community organizations, trade unions, business associations, religious institutions, and nongovernmental organizations (including all the purposes they bring with their foundation), and professional institutions. In this thesis, the main focus lies on the analysis of Israeli and Palestinian NGOs activities and their involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process. Guided by the theoretical framework of contemporary conflict management strategies together with theoretical analysis of the civil society role in the conflict situation, the research examines the effectiveness of the bottom-up approach to conflict resolution by analyzing civil resistance campaigns in Israel and Palestine. It argues that the Peace Process strategies applied by the international community to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict fail to lessen tension in the region and bring peace. The longevity of the conflict serves as an implication for necessity of a new peace-building approach to conflict resolution in the area, and according to the collected data, Israeli-Palestinian civil society is one of the key factors shaping new strategies to achieve peace.