  We search for translationally invariant states of qubits on a ring that
maximize the nearest neighbor entanglement. This problem was initially studied
by O'Connor and Wootters [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 63}, 052302 (2001)]. We first map
the problem to the search for the ground state of a spin 1/2 Heisenberg XXZ
model. Using the exact Bethe ansatz solution in the limit of an infinite ring,
we prove the correctness of the assumption of O'Connor and Wootters that the
state of maximal entanglement does not have any pair of neighboring spins
``down'' (or, alternatively spins ``up''). For sufficiently small fixed
magnetization, however, the assumption does not hold: we identify the region of
magnetizations for which the states that maximize the nearest neighbor
entanglement necessarily contain pairs of neighboring spins ``down''.
