tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post253410951606920643..comments2024-02-08T00:38:57.594-05:00Comments on Talmud תלמוד by Tzvee Zahavy: Times: Scott Atran and Jeremy Ginges Point to a Way to Negotiate an End to the Arab Israeli ConflictTzvee Zahavyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15833902273722124103noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523041.post-83374006918022181332009-01-25T15:26:00.000-05:002009-01-25T15:26:00.000-05:0025 January 2009Gentlemen: The authors of this morn...25 January 2009<BR/><BR/>Gentlemen:<BR/> <BR/>The authors of this morning's NYTimes op-ed on attitudes among Israelis and Palestinians in "How Words Could End a War", below and at<BR/>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/opinion/25atran.html?em=&pagewanted=all <BR/>refers to their surveys between 2004-2008 without any way for readers to find the actual research upon which the op-ed is based.<BR/><BR/>Looking around the web, I found an article submitted for publication to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [PNAS] more than two years ago http://www.pnas.org/content/104/18/7357.full I also found a briefing to the National Security Council dating from a year earlier, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/whitehouse/atrannsc-042806.pdf <BR/><BR/>I think a lot of water and blood have gone under the bridge between then and now. Although the authors write in today's op-ed that their research was conducted between 2004 and 2008, I have not found any on the web more current than 2007. Further, in all the writing, I have not found any discussion of or intention to discern a trend in attitudes over this period of time. For example, have any groups of Israelis and Palestinians become more hardened or more flexible or not changed in attitudes? To me, this kind of dynamic information is as important to good survey research as the statics, and as valuable to peace initiatives. I'm surprised the National Science Foundation and others have not required this additional reporting.<BR/><BR/>The authors seem to have some good advice to offer, in particular, one recommendation, "Don't offer material incentives for other's sacred values," per "Reframing Sacred Values in Seemingly Intractable Conflicts" posted at groups.csail.mit.edu/belief-dynamics/MIT07/BobAxelrod.ppt <BR/><BR/>Therefore, I think the authors owe NYTimes' readers a followup note, especially about any trends over the past two years and precisely where to find and review their research documents.<BR/><BR/>Thank you and best wishes,<BR/><BR/>Stuart Leiderman<BR/>leiderman@mindspring.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com