In Search of a Peace Settlement

Moshe Gat's "In Search of a Peace Settlement: Egypt and Israel Between the Wars, 1967-1973" examines one of the most consequential and understudied periods in modern Middle Eastern history. The years between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War were marked by intense diplomatic maneuvering, missed opportunities, and a gradual drift toward renewed conflict. Gat, an established historian of Middle Eastern affairs, brings a scholarly rigor to this period, drawing on archival sources and diplomatic records to reconstruct the complex negotiations and miscalculations that defined Egyptian-Israeli relations during these six pivotal years.

The book's central achievement lies in its careful reconstruction of the diplomatic efforts undertaken by various parties, including the United States, the Soviet Union, and United Nations mediators, to broker a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel following the 1967 war. Gat demonstrates how the territorial and political questions raised by Israel's occupation of the Sinai Peninsula became central to the diplomatic impasse that characterized this era. The author's attention to the perspectives of both Egyptian and Israeli decision-makers provides a balanced account that avoids favoring one side's narrative over the other.

Gat's analysis benefits from his access to declassified documents and his familiarity with both Hebrew and Arabic sources, allowing him to present a more complete picture than many previous studies that relied primarily on Western diplomatic archives. This methodological approach enables readers to understand not only what negotiators said publicly but also the internal deliberations that shaped their positions. The book effectively illustrates how domestic political considerations in both Cairo and Jerusalem constrained the flexibility of negotiators, even when genuine opportunities for compromise appeared to exist.

One of the more compelling aspects of Gat's work is his treatment of the War of Attrition, the sustained but limited conflict along the Suez Canal that occurred during much of this period. Rather than treating this episode as a mere prelude to the 1973 war, Gat positions it as a crucial phase in which both sides tested each other's resolve while diplomatic channels remained active, if largely unproductive. This dual-track approach, combining military pressure with diplomatic engagement, emerges as a defining feature of the era that Gat explores with considerable nuance.

The author also gives appropriate attention to the role of superpower involvement, particularly the shifting dynamics between American and Soviet interests in the region. Gat traces how Cold War considerations often complicated bilateral efforts at peace, as both Washington and Moscow pursued their own strategic objectives that did not always align with the immediate interests of either Egypt or Israel. This international dimension adds valuable context to what might otherwise appear as a purely regional conflict.

Readers interested in diplomatic history will find Gat's methodical approach rewarding, though the density of detail may require patience from those less familiar with the period's complex sequence of events. The book assumes a baseline knowledge of the region's political geography and the basic contours of the Arab-Israeli conflict, making it more suitable for students and specialists than for general readers seeking an introductory overview.

Gat's conclusion, which examines why sustained peace efforts ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of the 1973 war, offers a sobering assessment of the limitations of diplomacy when fundamental strategic and territorial disagreements remain unresolved. His analysis suggests that the absence of trust between the parties, combined with domestic political pressures and the complicating influence of superpower rivalry, created conditions in which peaceful resolution remained elusive despite genuine diplomatic efforts by various actors.

Overall, this book represents a valuable contribution to the historiography of Arab-Israeli relations during a formative period. Gat's scholarly approach, grounded in extensive archival research, provides readers with a nuanced understanding of the diplomatic complexities that characterized the interwar years. While the book's academic tone and detailed focus may limit its appeal to a broader audience, it stands as an important resource for those seeking to understand the historical roots of the peace process that would eventually emerge following the 1973 war and lead to the Camp David Accords.