Confidence building measures in the middle east

Confidence building measures address themselves to the need to avoid outcomes that are unfavorable to parties even if they are in a conflictual relationship. The fundamental understanding of confidence building is taken to be along the dimension, as in building confidence between the parties to the conflict. Confidence building thus does have cognitive dimension, as it does involve knowledge in a significant way. However, it also has other important dimensions. Evaluation has to do with several dimensions regarding the partner in the confidence building process. Perhaps the single most important question having to do with confidence building in the Middle East is the distinction between process and substance, and also style and substance. Confidence building, as both an aspect and instrument of diplomacy, has many corollaries and ramifications. One major component of confidence building has to be generating faith in the possibility that the parties will be willing to undertake irreversible commitments and to honor them over time.