Revision with unchanged content. From the year one the Middle East has been a hotbed of religious, territorial and political conflicts and especially the undeclared war between the Palestinians and Israel enjoys great interest in the western hemisphere. Every day, news about the region appears on television and in newspapers and in particular, the United States try to impinge on the situation. The purpose of this book is to give an overview of the conflicts origins and development and the exertion of influence of the United States. In this context it will focus especially on the role of U.S. Middle East policy during the Clinton administration, while investigating the clash between the Palestinians and the Israelis and its historic origins. Besides, it questions whether the United States, and particularly Bill Clinton, functioned as a peacemaker between the hostile parties and achieved significant progress in the peace process.