Evasion strategies in international documents: when ‘constructive ambiguity’ leads to oppositional interpretation

While numerous studies have examined evasion strategies in political discourse, the use of such strategies in internationally authored conflict resolution documents has yet to be examined. The demands of addressing different audiences are most evident in such documents, as the central audiences–the two conflicting parties–have conflicting demands. Through a discourse analysis of four central conflict resolution documents in the Arab–Israeli conflict, this paper presents six central evasion strategies utilized to cater to the demands of oppositional actors. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how evasion strategies are interpreted in the media discourse of relevant actors. Finally, the paper examines the role of evasion strategies and their interpretation by media actors in conflict resolution and perpetuation, arguing that evasion strategies release mediators of responsibility while allowing conflicted parties to ‘dig into’ their respective narratives.