Amira Schiff
Biographic Data
| ID | 388723 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Amira Schiff |
| GIVEN NAMES | Amira |
| FAMILY NAME | Schiff |
| SIGNATURE | SCHIFF A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Bar-Ilan University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1846-8352 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Patron, Broker, Ally: Qatar’s Multifaceted Role in the First Hostage Release Deal in the Israel–Hamas Conflict—A Touvalian Perspective on Mediation and Foreign Policy
This article analyses Qatar’s mediation during the November 2023 Israel–Hamas hostage negotiations, which secured a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Applying Saadia Touval’s framework, the study argues that Qatar’s involvement was a calculated act of statecraft aimed at advancing its political goals. The analysis demonstrates that Qatar’s diplomatic decisions were driven by three intersecting imperatives…
The Way You Do It Like You Do: Moon Jae-in’s Mediation in the U.S.–DPRK Crisis (2017–2018)
This article examines South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s mediation during the 2017–2018 U.S.–DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) crisis, emphasising the importance of a multidimensional approach to power in international crisis mediation. This study argues that both strategic strengths—such as resource-based powers—and tactical strengths, including personal skills, are critical for successful mediation. Moon skilfully utilised South Ko…
Any port in a storm: Qatar as a biased mediator
From Local to Regional Spoiler: Hamas as a Case Study of a Multi-Dimensional Spoiler
This article develops a refined conceptual and analytical framework to examine how shifting opportunities and capabilities shape the behavior of total spoilers, particularly in intractable conflicts where peace efforts are intermittently renewed. Through an in-depth case study of Hamas, the article offers new insights into the transformation of a local spoiler in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a regional and multi-dimensional spoiler with …
Unpacking Unofficial Normalization: Israel's Unofficial Relations with the UAE and the Abraham Accords
The study aims to unpack the concept of unofficial normalization and how it can facilitate the resolution of interstate conflicts. Drawing on Kriesberg's typology of conflict management strategies as constructive or destructive, we define constructive unofficial normalization as a new type of coengagement reward inducement in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE)-Israel relations. Disciplined configurative and heuristic modes of case study an…
Nested insider-partial mediator: South Korea’s mediation in the US–DPRK crisis in 2017–2018
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of international crisis mediation by introducing and examining the nested insider-partial mediator (NIPM) concept, a nuanced perspective on IPM behavior. This study challenges the traditional view of effective mediators as external, unbiased entities by delving into the behavior and contribution of mediators who are deeply embedded in the conflict environment, such as South Korea’s…
Silent alliances and shifting tides: Unveiling the hidden pathways to resolving interstate rivalries – the UAE-Israel case
Purpose This study delves into the transformation of UAE-Israel relations, which transitioned from a long-term rivalry to a formal peace agreement in 2020. It aims to uncover the multifaceted elements that influenced both nations’ pursuit of bilateral negotiations, with a special emphasis on the role of unofficial collaboration. Design/methodology/approach Employing a case study approach, the research traces the evolution of the UAE-Israel ties, …
Onward and upward in conflict resolution
Bercovitch and Jackson (2009) identified the post-Cold War period as a critical juncture in the study of conflict resolution, noting how shifts in the nature of international conflict have led to paradigmatic changes in this field. They observed that the end of the global bipolar system required “new approaches,” adding multidimensional strategies to the traditional ones – state-centric and unidimensional – which had dominated the field for over …
The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza-Israel Crisis, 2018–2019
This article highlights the United Nations’ potential contribution in the niche of crisis management. Drawing from the crisis-based approach’s insights on crisis mediation efficacy, and Carnevale’s conceptualization of the mediator’s various strengths as the sources of leverage in mediation, the study explores UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov’s mediation during the Gaza-Israel crisis in 2018–2019. I argue…
Preventing Another Korean War: A Case Study of Crisis Management from the Perspective of Readiness Theory
This study explores the relevance of readiness theory’s analytical framework in illuminating the fundamentals that contribute to the de-escalation process in international crises. By applying this analytical framework to the U.S.-North Korea crisis management episode of 2017–2018, this study elucidates the interplay of elements that led to the winding down of the intense crisis and to the parties’ agreement to formally embark on negotiations at t…
Negotiating Intractable Conflicts: Readiness Theory Revisited
Through the lens of readiness theory, this book focuses on elements that determine the success and failure in negotiating peace agreements in intractable ethno-national conflicts. Examining three cases of mediated negotiation in Aceh, Sudan, and Sri Lanka, the book provides an analytical framework for studying the processes underlying the movement toward conflict resolution. By studying readiness theory's capacity to identify the factors that inf…
The Kerry Peace Initiative in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: When Hope and Good Intentions Are Not Enough
This article examines the factors that contributed to the failure of the last major effort, which was carried out by us Secretary of State John Kerry, to facilitate a Final Status Agreement to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The analysis is based on an understanding that every effort to resolve this intractable conflict, even if unsuccessful, is worthy of examination, which can yield interesting observations and insights that may inform…
Beyond Push and Pull: The Sudan Peace Process as a Case Study
This research examines Zartman’s formulation of mutually hurting stalemate and mutually enticing opportunity as variables pushing and pulling parties toward agreement during the negotiation that took place between southern and northern Sudan between 2002 and 2005. This case shows that ripeness theory and formulating the push and pull factors indeed help clarify what brought the parties to negotiate and reach an agreement. However, we contend that…
Lessons from the Kerry Peace Initiative and the Need for a Constructive Approach
The failure of the most recent peace efforts in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, by Secretary of State Kerry, followed by the Palestinians’ decision to pursue the unilateral track, underlines the need to examine the factors that led to this failure and to draw lessons that perhaps will provide a better understanding of what is possible to achieve in a future negotiation. The following analysis indicates that the failure of the process can be att…
On Success and Failure: Readiness Theory and the Aceh and Sri Lanka Peace Processes
This study presents a comparative analysis of two case studies in which attempts were made to resolve intractable ethno-national conflicts: the peace process undertaken in Aceh between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement, which led to the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding ( mou ) ending the conflict in Aceh; and the process conducted in the Sri Lanka conflict from 2001 through 2004 between the Government of Sr…
The ‘Annapolis Process’: A chronology of failure
The analysis indicates three sets of factors through which parties' willingness to achieve a consensual solution can be assessed: the contextual factors that contribute to adversaries' decision to proceed to official negotiations, the functions of the pre-negotiations and the changes that occur in the parties' perceptions during the pre-negotiations. A simultaneous exploration of these factors provides a more complete assessment of the parties' i…
On Success in Peace Processes: Readiness Theory and the Aceh Peace Process
The study presents an analysis of the conflict resolution process in the Aceh conflict between the government of Indonesia (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (“Gerekan Aceh Merdeka” or GAM). Starting with unofficial efforts by the Indonesian side from mid-2003, which eventually led the parties to the negotiation table and to the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in August 2005, the peace process put an end to the 30-year con…
The Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Process: A Prenegotiation Perspective
In this paper, I explore the prenegotiation process between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which extended over eight months in 1993 and ended with the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DOP) in September of that year. During this period, the parties committed to recognize each other and conduct future negotiations with the aim of ending a century of conflict. The DOP was considered a significant breakthrough in Isr…
The Critical Role of Prenegotiations in Ethno-national Conflicts: Cyprus and the 'Annapolis Process
Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict1
Journal Article “Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict Get access Amira Schiff Amira Schiff Bar-Ilan University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Studies Perspectives, Volume 11, Issue 2, May 2010, Pages 93–111, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-3585.2010.00396.x Published: 04 May 2010
Pre-negotiation and its Limits in Ethno-National Conflicts: A Systematic Analysis of Process and Outcomes in the Cyprus Negotiations
The repeated failures of negotiation in ethno-national conflicts highlight the importance of studying the relationship between the pre-negotiation process and the results of the subsequent formal negotiations. This study examines various factors that contributed to a decision by adversaries to initiate official negotiations, and how these factors affected the prospects for a negotiated agreement. Furthermore, it suggests that certain elements in …
Pre-negotiation and its Limits in Ethno-National Conflicts: A Systematic Analysis of Process and Outcomes in the Cyprus Negotiations
The repeated failures of negotiation in ethno-national conflicts highlight the importance of studying the relationship between the pre-negotiation process and the results of the subsequent formal negotiations. This study examines various factors that contributed to a decision by adversaries to initiate official negotiations, and how these factors affected the prospects for a negotiated agreement. Furthermore, it suggests that certain elements in …
Unpacking Unofficial Normalization: Israel's Unofficial Relations with the UAE and the Abraham Accords
The study aims to unpack the concept of unofficial normalization and how it can facilitate the resolution of interstate conflicts. Drawing on Kriesberg's typology of conflict management strategies as constructive or destructive, we define constructive unofficial normalization as a new type of coengagement reward inducement in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE)-Israel relations. Disciplined configurative and heuristic modes of case study an…
Beyond Push and Pull: The Sudan Peace Process as a Case Study
This research examines Zartman’s formulation of mutually hurting stalemate and mutually enticing opportunity as variables pushing and pulling parties toward agreement during the negotiation that took place between southern and northern Sudan between 2002 and 2005. This case shows that ripeness theory and formulating the push and pull factors indeed help clarify what brought the parties to negotiate and reach an agreement. However, we contend that…
On Success and Failure: Readiness Theory and the Aceh and Sri Lanka Peace Processes
This study presents a comparative analysis of two case studies in which attempts were made to resolve intractable ethno-national conflicts: the peace process undertaken in Aceh between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement, which led to the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding ( mou ) ending the conflict in Aceh; and the process conducted in the Sri Lanka conflict from 2001 through 2004 between the Government of Sr…
The Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Process: A Prenegotiation Perspective
In this paper, I explore the prenegotiation process between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which extended over eight months in 1993 and ended with the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DOP) in September of that year. During this period, the parties committed to recognize each other and conduct future negotiations with the aim of ending a century of conflict. The DOP was considered a significant breakthrough in Isr…
Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict1
Journal Article “Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict Get access Amira Schiff Amira Schiff Bar-Ilan University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Studies Perspectives, Volume 11, Issue 2, May 2010, Pages 93–111, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-3585.2010.00396.x Published: 04 May 2010
The Kerry Peace Initiative in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: When Hope and Good Intentions Are Not Enough
This article examines the factors that contributed to the failure of the last major effort, which was carried out by us Secretary of State John Kerry, to facilitate a Final Status Agreement to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The analysis is based on an understanding that every effort to resolve this intractable conflict, even if unsuccessful, is worthy of examination, which can yield interesting observations and insights that may inform…
The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza-Israel Crisis, 2018–2019
This article highlights the United Nations’ potential contribution in the niche of crisis management. Drawing from the crisis-based approach’s insights on crisis mediation efficacy, and Carnevale’s conceptualization of the mediator’s various strengths as the sources of leverage in mediation, the study explores UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov’s mediation during the Gaza-Israel crisis in 2018–2019. I argue…
The ‘Annapolis Process’: A chronology of failure
The analysis indicates three sets of factors through which parties' willingness to achieve a consensual solution can be assessed: the contextual factors that contribute to adversaries' decision to proceed to official negotiations, the functions of the pre-negotiations and the changes that occur in the parties' perceptions during the pre-negotiations. A simultaneous exploration of these factors provides a more complete assessment of the parties' i…
Pre-negotiation and its Limits in Ethno-National Conflicts: A Systematic Analysis of Process and Outcomes in the Cyprus Negotiations
The repeated failures of negotiation in ethno-national conflicts highlight the importance of studying the relationship between the pre-negotiation process and the results of the subsequent formal negotiations. This study examines various factors that contributed to a decision by adversaries to initiate official negotiations, and how these factors affected the prospects for a negotiated agreement. Furthermore, it suggests that certain elements in …
Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict1
Journal Article “Quasi Track-One” Diplomacy: An Analysis of the Geneva Process in the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict Get access Amira Schiff Amira Schiff Bar-Ilan University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Studies Perspectives, Volume 11, Issue 2, May 2010, Pages 93–111, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-3585.2010.00396.x Published: 04 May 2010
The Critical Role of Prenegotiations in Ethno-national Conflicts: Cyprus and the 'Annapolis Process
The Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Process: A Prenegotiation Perspective
In this paper, I explore the prenegotiation process between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which extended over eight months in 1993 and ended with the signing of the Declaration of Principles (DOP) in September of that year. During this period, the parties committed to recognize each other and conduct future negotiations with the aim of ending a century of conflict. The DOP was considered a significant breakthrough in Isr…
The ‘Annapolis Process’: A chronology of failure
The analysis indicates three sets of factors through which parties' willingness to achieve a consensual solution can be assessed: the contextual factors that contribute to adversaries' decision to proceed to official negotiations, the functions of the pre-negotiations and the changes that occur in the parties' perceptions during the pre-negotiations. A simultaneous exploration of these factors provides a more complete assessment of the parties' i…
On Success in Peace Processes: Readiness Theory and the Aceh Peace Process
The study presents an analysis of the conflict resolution process in the Aceh conflict between the government of Indonesia (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (“Gerekan Aceh Merdeka” or GAM). Starting with unofficial efforts by the Indonesian side from mid-2003, which eventually led the parties to the negotiation table and to the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in August 2005, the peace process put an end to the 30-year con…
On Success and Failure: Readiness Theory and the Aceh and Sri Lanka Peace Processes
This study presents a comparative analysis of two case studies in which attempts were made to resolve intractable ethno-national conflicts: the peace process undertaken in Aceh between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement, which led to the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding ( mou ) ending the conflict in Aceh; and the process conducted in the Sri Lanka conflict from 2001 through 2004 between the Government of Sr…
Lessons from the Kerry Peace Initiative and the Need for a Constructive Approach
The failure of the most recent peace efforts in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, by Secretary of State Kerry, followed by the Palestinians’ decision to pursue the unilateral track, underlines the need to examine the factors that led to this failure and to draw lessons that perhaps will provide a better understanding of what is possible to achieve in a future negotiation. The following analysis indicates that the failure of the process can be att…
Beyond Push and Pull: The Sudan Peace Process as a Case Study
This research examines Zartman’s formulation of mutually hurting stalemate and mutually enticing opportunity as variables pushing and pulling parties toward agreement during the negotiation that took place between southern and northern Sudan between 2002 and 2005. This case shows that ripeness theory and formulating the push and pull factors indeed help clarify what brought the parties to negotiate and reach an agreement. However, we contend that…
The Kerry Peace Initiative in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: When Hope and Good Intentions Are Not Enough
This article examines the factors that contributed to the failure of the last major effort, which was carried out by us Secretary of State John Kerry, to facilitate a Final Status Agreement to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The analysis is based on an understanding that every effort to resolve this intractable conflict, even if unsuccessful, is worthy of examination, which can yield interesting observations and insights that may inform…
Negotiating Intractable Conflicts: Readiness Theory Revisited
Through the lens of readiness theory, this book focuses on elements that determine the success and failure in negotiating peace agreements in intractable ethno-national conflicts. Examining three cases of mediated negotiation in Aceh, Sudan, and Sri Lanka, the book provides an analytical framework for studying the processes underlying the movement toward conflict resolution. By studying readiness theory's capacity to identify the factors that inf…
Preventing Another Korean War: A Case Study of Crisis Management from the Perspective of Readiness Theory
This study explores the relevance of readiness theory’s analytical framework in illuminating the fundamentals that contribute to the de-escalation process in international crises. By applying this analytical framework to the U.S.-North Korea crisis management episode of 2017–2018, this study elucidates the interplay of elements that led to the winding down of the intense crisis and to the parties’ agreement to formally embark on negotiations at t…
The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza-Israel Crisis, 2018–2019
This article highlights the United Nations’ potential contribution in the niche of crisis management. Drawing from the crisis-based approach’s insights on crisis mediation efficacy, and Carnevale’s conceptualization of the mediator’s various strengths as the sources of leverage in mediation, the study explores UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov’s mediation during the Gaza-Israel crisis in 2018–2019. I argue…
Nested insider-partial mediator: South Korea’s mediation in the US–DPRK crisis in 2017–2018
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of international crisis mediation by introducing and examining the nested insider-partial mediator (NIPM) concept, a nuanced perspective on IPM behavior. This study challenges the traditional view of effective mediators as external, unbiased entities by delving into the behavior and contribution of mediators who are deeply embedded in the conflict environment, such as South Korea’s…
Silent alliances and shifting tides: Unveiling the hidden pathways to resolving interstate rivalries – the UAE-Israel case
Purpose This study delves into the transformation of UAE-Israel relations, which transitioned from a long-term rivalry to a formal peace agreement in 2020. It aims to uncover the multifaceted elements that influenced both nations’ pursuit of bilateral negotiations, with a special emphasis on the role of unofficial collaboration. Design/methodology/approach Employing a case study approach, the research traces the evolution of the UAE-Israel ties, …
Onward and upward in conflict resolution
Bercovitch and Jackson (2009) identified the post-Cold War period as a critical juncture in the study of conflict resolution, noting how shifts in the nature of international conflict have led to paradigmatic changes in this field. They observed that the end of the global bipolar system required “new approaches,” adding multidimensional strategies to the traditional ones – state-centric and unidimensional – which had dominated the field for over …
The Way You Do It Like You Do: Moon Jae-in’s Mediation in the U.S.–DPRK Crisis (2017–2018)
This article examines South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s mediation during the 2017–2018 U.S.–DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) crisis, emphasising the importance of a multidimensional approach to power in international crisis mediation. This study argues that both strategic strengths—such as resource-based powers—and tactical strengths, including personal skills, are critical for successful mediation. Moon skilfully utilised South Ko…
Any port in a storm: Qatar as a biased mediator
From Local to Regional Spoiler: Hamas as a Case Study of a Multi-Dimensional Spoiler
This article develops a refined conceptual and analytical framework to examine how shifting opportunities and capabilities shape the behavior of total spoilers, particularly in intractable conflicts where peace efforts are intermittently renewed. Through an in-depth case study of Hamas, the article offers new insights into the transformation of a local spoiler in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a regional and multi-dimensional spoiler with …
Unpacking Unofficial Normalization: Israel's Unofficial Relations with the UAE and the Abraham Accords
The study aims to unpack the concept of unofficial normalization and how it can facilitate the resolution of interstate conflicts. Drawing on Kriesberg's typology of conflict management strategies as constructive or destructive, we define constructive unofficial normalization as a new type of coengagement reward inducement in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE)-Israel relations. Disciplined configurative and heuristic modes of case study an…
Patron, Broker, Ally: Qatar’s Multifaceted Role in the First Hostage Release Deal in the Israel–Hamas Conflict—A Touvalian Perspective on Mediation and Foreign Policy
This article analyses Qatar’s mediation during the November 2023 Israel–Hamas hostage negotiations, which secured a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Applying Saadia Touval’s framework, the study argues that Qatar’s involvement was a calculated act of statecraft aimed at advancing its political goals. The analysis demonstrates that Qatar’s diplomatic decisions were driven by three intersecting imperatives…
Political science (18 works) · Law (13 works) · Negotiation (13 works) · Law (11 works) · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts (8 works) · Peacebuilding and International Security (8 works) · Politics (8 works)