Peter E. Sabella

Daring to Deal! examines one of the most persistent challenges in modern diplomacy: why some attempts at American mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have produced historic breakthroughs while others have ended in failure.

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Drawing on the contrasting experiences of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Peter E. Sabella explores the conditions that can make mediation succeed—or cause it to collapse. Carter’s role in the Camp David negotiations and Clinton’s intensive involvement in the peace process provide two revealing cases through which the book examines leadership, power, legitimacy, timing, justice, and the role of the mediator.

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Rather than treating peace as the product of negotiation technique alone, Daring to Deal! argues that successful mediation requires more than bringing adversaries to the table. A mediator must understand the imbalance of power between the parties, recognize when a conflict is ripe for agreement, restore hope in a political process, and help establish a credible framework in which both sides can envision a just and sustainable outcome.

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Looking from the lessons of Carter and Clinton toward the challenges facing the Trump administration, the book asks a question that remains as relevant today as when it was written: What must an American president do differently if genuine peace in the Middle East is to become possible?

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Part history, part analysis, and part challenge to policymakers, Daring to Deal! offers readers a framework for understanding not only what happened in previous negotiations, but why—and what those experiences can teach future mediators seeking to turn diplomacy into lasting peace.