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.