Perceptions of the ideal mediator: an Israeli-Palestinian example

Although research on mediation documents the ideal problem-solving strategy of the mediator, the steps involved in developing a successful mediating process, and the political and economic resources that facilitate mediation, there is usually no indication that the members of both sides might have different attitudes toward these variables and in particular toward the personality traits of the ideal mediator. Data that document the perceptions of Israeli Jews and Palestinians collected during the early phase of the intifada (uprising) in 2001 are used as an example. Although both groups indicated that a mediator should be task-oriented, the Israeli Jews wanted a mediator over three times as friendly as the one desired by the Palestinians.