Finally US Secretary of State John Kerry has succeeded in initiating a new round of talks between Israel and Palestine. As a matter of fact, were it not for Kerry’s relentless efforts, it would not have been possible for the Israelis and the Palestinians to keep their differences at bay and to resume talks.
It seems that Kerry is confident that his efforts will pay off this time around. According to him, the Israeli and Palestinian sides will meet again and their goal will be to work out a comprehensive peace agreement within nine months that will lead to an independent Palestinian state. It is as if the United States has assumed the responsibility for chalking out a fully-fledged peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). However one may ask: Is Kerry aware of the conditions that can help the two sides reach historical reconciliation?
Kerry’s enthusiasm is far from being realistic. First, given the turmoil in the Middle East, it seems that the last thing the US should seek is another failure in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Above all, the mere initiation of conflict resolution will not put the American administration in a better position to contend with the repercussions of the Arab uprisings. Adding salt to injury, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have entered a new round of negotiations with different objectives and calculations. If anything, Abbas seeks an agreement on all issues including Jerusalem and refugees. Short of extracting Israeli concessions on these burning issues, Abbas would not be able to justify any future agreement and thus he may lose power in the process.
On the other hand, Netanyahu cannot agree to the Palestinians’ minimum demands and survive politically at the same time. Netanyahu’s obsession with the Iranian nuclear program pushes him to risk a political crisis within his cabinet over the Palestinian problem. For many of his partners in the government, the Palestinian problem has to take a backseat to the perceived threat emanating from Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It would be a miracle, therefore, if Netanyahu agrees to offer concessions on these burning issues. Indeed, the peace process was not an issue during the last Israeli elections. Although peace and security are two important issues for the Israelis. Having said that, however, the Palestinian political scene also does not present a very nice picture. The Palestinian society has never been more fragmented. The irony is that even Abbas is having a hard time appointing a prime minister. Will there be any credible player in Palestine or among the Arabs who can support Abbas in case the latter offers concession to the Israelis? Hardly!
Savvy as he may be, Kerry has missed a very important prerequisite for peacemaking in the Middle East. History tells us that the American administrations could only manage to create the conditions for the initiation of a peace process. And yet this is hardly sufficient. For peace to materialize, there are some concessions that only the parties to the conflict can make. I believe that the only way to iron out differences between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is through serious talks. For this reason, Kerry should have focused more on conditions that can make peace within reach. This would have entailed a US interference in Israeli politics to produce a peace coalition in power. This is exactly what the US needs to understand. Otherwise, the US administration will continue beating around the bush. This exercise reminds us the old adage: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
