As President Bush visited Israel last week on the occasion of Israel’s 60th Anniversary of its founding, the President and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert met to discuss prospects of working out a peace deal. The lead negotiators for each country–Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni–are both women. And, while the microphones were still on after Bush and Olmert finished a press conference, Olmert noted that he could not recall any other situation where the lead negotiators were both women. President Bush responded, “Well, the men were not able to get it done, maybe they will!” (click here for the whole NPR story–the part about gender starts at 2 minutes in.)

So, do we think that women in charge might make a difference? Since the Palestinians will not likely have a female lead negotiator (although maybe Hanan Ashrawi can be involved) will this matter anyway? If we think that women might be more effective (like apparently the President might), would this be under Tina Fey’s theory of negotiation (see earlier posting on the New Black)? or would this be under other theories that women don’t start war in the first place? Either way, the President and I both remain hopeful!