"Wanis-St. John takes on the question of whether the complex and often perilous secret negotiations between principal parties prove to be instrumental paths to reconciliation or roadblocks that disrupt the process. Using the Palestinian-Israeli peace process as a framework, the author focuses on the uses and misuses of 'back channel' negotiations. He discusses how top-level PLO and Israeli government officials have often resorted to secret negotiation channels even when designated, acknowledged negotiation teams were already at work. Intense scrutiny by the media, pressure from constituents, and reactions of the public all became severe constraints to the process, causing leaders to seek out such back channels. The impact of these secret talks within the peace process over time has largely been unexplored. Including interviews with major negotiators and policymakers on both sides and a detailed history of the conflict, Wanis-St. John analyzes the functions and consequences of back channel negotiations. The book reveals the painful irony that these methods for peacemaking have had the unintended effect of inflaming the conflict and sustaining its intractability."--book jacket.