THE POWERS OF THE NINTH TRACK. AN APPLICATION OF THE MULTITRACK MODEL TO THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
THE POWERS OF THE NINTH TRACK. AN APPLICATION OF THE MULTITRACK MODEL TO THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

Summary/Abstract: Good leadership, based on cultivating values and a shared identity have proven essential, yet not sufficient in the rise and fall of empires, social movements and religions. In a profoundly diverse contemporary society, the control of social perceptions of the large masses has become the heel of Achilles of current power games as well as the frontline of modern warfare. So how can digital civil engagement and new media be kept in the service of a positive peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as conceptualized by Johan Galtung, the father of peace studies? Media and communication have been widely used by individuals and groups to advance their political projects. This article applies the model of the ninth track of communication from the multitrack peace negotiations framework of Diamond and McDonald (1996) to provide an interpretation of the usage of media and communication tools in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This allows us to understand the growing importance of new media in the conflict and to indicate how this framing might generate questions for empirical research.

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