Negotiation support systems can provide useful advice and allow
disputants to more understand their goals and perform the trade-offs necessary
to arrive at acceptable solutions. Whilst the Middle East conflict is a complex
multi-party dispute, it might prove useful to examine it from the point of view
of interest-based negotiation. Asset Divider is an interest based negotiation
support system developed to support family mediation in Australia. When data
about the Israel-Palestinian dispute was entered in the system, Asset Divider
suggested that a Palestinian State should be created with East Jerusalem as its
capital as long as the Palestinians recognised Israel, stopped or heavily limited
terrorism and ceased asking for a right of return. Israel would also need to
dismantle the fence and most settlements, whilst Palestine would need to
discourage other Arab States and Iran from being belligerent towards Israel.
Interestingly enough this suggestion is similar to the successful Camp David
accords between Israel and Egypt, where Israel gave up territory for recognition
and security.