Arbitration is a method of conflict resolution which, with more or less formalized mechanisms, occurs in
many political and legal spheres. There are two main characteristics to arbitration. The first is that it is a
voluntary process under which two parties in conflict agree between themselves to be bound by the
judgment of a third party which has no other authority over them; the judgment, however, is not legally
binding. The second is that there is usually no clear body of law or set of rules that must apply; the
arbitrator is free, subject to any prior agreement with the conflicting parties, to decide on whatever basis
of justice is deemed suitable. Arbitration has been used successfully, for example, to decide on disputed
borders between Israel and Egypt, where local history was a major part of the arbitrator’s decision