Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

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I recently attended a small group celebration in honor of the late Israeli politician and two-time prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, at Newark, N.J.’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The presentation focused, among other things, on steps for multistate dispute resolution. Present were Daniel Kurtzer, who served as U.S. ambassador to both Egypt and Israel, and is now a professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University; former Israeli ambassador to the United States Itamar Rabinovich, and Rabin’s daughter, Dalia Rabin-Pelossof.

During the conversation, Ambassador Rabinovich recounted the steps leading to potential solutions to some of Israel’s problems in the “neighborhood.” He specifically spoke about the indirect negotiations between U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Former Syria President Hafez al-Assad, father of the nation’s current president, and Prime Minister Rabin. He detailed the back and forth that went on with Christopher, as well as Rabin’s candor to the secretary with regard to a resolution with Syria.

By examining that discussion, as well as reflections from Ambassador Rabinovich’s new book (“Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman,” published by Yale University Press (March 5, 2017)), we are left with some thoughts and lessons for dispute resolution.