What kind of peace is this? Metaphor in the United States press coverage of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations

This study examines the metaphors for peace used in the American press coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian, peace process. Metaphors are considered within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory as discussed in Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Lakoff (1993). The study seeks to answer four research questions concerning, metaphor frequency, type, variation, and range in an effort to explore the understanding of peace inherent in the metaphors used in the press coverage and to contribute to empirical and discourse level considerations of conceptual metaphor theory. It is argued that conceptual metaphor theory offers a way to account for the range of metaphors used systematically and to consider the implications of the metaphors chosen to understand abstract concepts like peace. It is also argued that considering metaphor in actual discourse indicates areas in need of further development in conceptual metaphor theory and demonstrates the need for more attention to the political and social implications of metaphor choice.