| Posted By Mahmoud Labadi
August 8, 2007
President Bush renewed his commitment for the creation of a Palestinian State on July 16 and asked for the convention of a new peace gathering for the moderate Arab states: The Gulf States, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinians and Israel. His intention is to revive the peace process and bring about a peaceful settlement to the 60 years old Middle East conflict. Apparently, the Conference will be held in November.
President Bush’s initiative was welcomed by the Arab states as well as by Israel, in spite of the fact that both sides have different views about peace and sometimes in diametrical contradiction to each other.
The proposed meeting coincides well with the Arab Peace Initiative introduced by the Saudis and adopted by the Arab League Summit of Beirut in 2002. The same plan was endorsed five years later by the Arab Summit of Riyadh in March 2007. The initiative is based on the "Land for peace" principle and a comprehensive peace with all concerned parties including Syria.
The Arab League, encouraged by President Bush’s statements dispatched on July 25, 2007 an Arab League delegation made up of the two Foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan on an unprecedented visit to Israel to formally present the Arab Peace Plan to the Israeli leaders. Their message was expressed by the Jordanian Foreign Minister Abd Il Ilah Al Khatib who declared at a joint press conference with the Israeli President Shimon Peres, “We are extending a hand of peace on behalf of the whole region, and we hope we will create the momentum needed to resume fruitful and productive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and the rest of the Arab World.”
However, Israel which had played down the Arab initiative in the past continued its policy of maneuvering and delaying tactics. On the ground Israel continued its repressive policies by strangling the Palestinian economy with countless checkpoints, the construction of Israeli settlements, the confiscation of Palestinian lands and properties, the construction of the wall, the continued hot pursuit and assassination of Palestinian patriots, continuous detention, the isolation of the old City of Jerusalem, withholding Palestinian tax money etc…. However, after its re-endorsement of the same initiative by the Arab League Summit in 2007 Israeli officials were more encouraged by the U.S. position and asked for Arab normalization with Israel even before a peace agreement is signed with the Palestinians. Ms. Rice followed the same line and asked Arabs to be more forth coming towards Israel without asking Israel to fulfill its obligations towards a just and lasting peace. As a substitute bilateral meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were proposed to forestall any real political settlement. According to Olmert, the talks will be limited on marginal issues, such as humanitarian, financial, and security matters.
Indeed, Arabs and Palestinians view peace as the liberation of their lands and the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 occupied territories, while Israelis understand their peace in the framework of expanding their territories at the expense of the Palestinian and Arab neighbors. But peace and military occupation cannot work together. Unfortunately, the Israelis still dream of the preservation of settlement blocks, the expansionist wall, the water aquifers, the land and air space of the future Palestinian state etc…and still have peace with the Palestinians. Their political discourse did not change, and continue to talk about “painful concessions” as if they are the ones who suffer under military rule.
On the other hand, in order for the conference to be successful the proposed peace gathering, or the new Middle East Conference should have a clear agenda tackling final status issues, such as borders, settlements or settlement blocks, Arab Jerusalem, the wall, water aquifers, economy, prisoners etc…Prince Saud Al Faisal, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia was right to say that his Government would “look very closely and very hard at attending” if the conference dealt with issues of real substance, not just form.” Until now, no agenda was set for the proposed peace conference.
Indeed, the suffering Middle Eastern populations need a serious and honest peace breakthrough and are sick of fruitless gatherings and useless peace projects, plans or initiatives to be held just for the purpose of public relations and normalization with the occupation. They have the right to ask for a more serious U.S. and international involvement to put an end to their agony and their daily humiliation. They aspire to live in peaceful coexistence with their neighbors and build together a stable, secure and prosperous future.
It is worth wondering whether the proposed peace gathering emanates from a genuine desire to bring about real peace to the region, or just for the purpose of rallying an Arab moderate front against the so called axis of evil represented by Iran and its allies, or in favor of the U.S. Implication in the Iraqi war.
Since decades, the Middle East has witnessed several plans and initiatives calling for peace between Israel and its Arab and Palestinian neighbors, but with no avail. Nowadays, we witness a loud rattle of peace, but without tangible substance.
Nevertheless, the Palestinian National Authority represented by its President Mahmoud Abbas have expressed their support for President Bush's new initiative and welcomed the visit of the US Secretary of State Ms. Condoleezza Rice and the U.S Secretary of Defense Mr. Robert Gates to the Middle Eastern Region to blow fresh air in to the stumbling Peace process. However, if peace is to be installed in the region, it has to include all fronts. The exclusion of any conflict partner will just be a tantamount to the perpetuation of the conflict and thus prolong the agony of the civilian population on both sides, but mainly the Palestinian people living under military occupation.
In their last meeting in Jericho on August 6, 2007 both parties differed about the timing of the peace talks. Palestinians said that after years of delay, it’s now time to start talking about the terms of Palestinian statehood, including final borders, removal of Israeli settlements and how to divide Jerusalem. Mr. Abbas urged Olmert about speedy resumption of the final status negotiations, but Israel wants to move ahead slowly. As an excuse they say that Olmert is not strong enough to make far-reaching concessions. Olmert stated: “It is still too early to start.
Indeed Israel is not in a hurry to abandon its war gains even after 40 years of lucrative occupation as long as it enjoys the backing of the U.S. and the tacit support of the European community and the silent international community.
If the November Mideast Peace Conference which will take place in the U.S. in November will bear fruits the Bush Administration has to as tough as it was during the Apartheid Regime in South Africa and as was the case against Britain during the Northern Ireland peace negotiations.
* Mahmoud Labadi is a Palestinian writer and analyst based in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
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