Last week’s article by this columnist on the Saudi peace plan and an American-Saudi women’s meeting generated an abundance of e-mail and numerous other responses. The concept of women leading a movement toward peace in the Middle East seemed to have captured the attention of many readers. Everyone is war-weary and the whole world is looking for peaceful solutions to the current crisis in the Middle East. And the Saudi plan can serve as a basis for a strong platform for a comprehensive peace.
For some time, we have not heard much about the Saudi peace plan. Now with the ongoing crisis in Iraq and with newer battles being waged in Palestine, Lebanon and Israel, talk of the Saudi peace plan has re-emerged. Political pundits are writing and discussing the merits of that plan now daily in various think tanks and the media.
For example in an article titled, “Beyond Lebanon” in the Washington Post on July 30, former Reagan National Security Advisor Brent Scowcraft, outlines elements for a comprehensive Middle East settlement. He includes the pledge of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and his peace plan as one of the bases for the settlement.
The Saudi peace plan was announced in 2002 by the then Crown Prince Abdullah. Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki spoke about King Abdullah’s peace plan on July 24 when asked a question by a participant of a discussion at Florida State University.
Prince Turki stated, “Back in 1981 — this is more than 30 years ago — the late King Fahd proposed a peace plan that was introduced to the Arab Summit conference in Casablanca, in Morocco. And the year after the introduction of that plan, in 1982, all the Arab countries accepted that peace plan, which would have led to peace between Israel and the Arab world... Unfortunately, the Israelis did not respond at that time. On the contrary, they invaded Lebanon, and all of us know what happened from that time, when they invaded Lebanon. In 2002, Kind Abdullah, who was then Crown Prince, at the summit conference in Beirut, introduced the Abdullah peace plan, which also called for a two-state solution and the return of all occupied Arab territories to Palestine and Syria and Lebanon... And again, unfortunately, Israel not only did not respond, but they expressed their opposition to that plan....”
The components of that peace plan according to the BBC are as follows:
“The basic outline or principles of the Saudi plan are known, but the detail is vague.
The main points are:
0. Israel is required to withdraw from all territories seized in 1967 — the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
0. In return, all Arab states offer normal diplomatic relations — including a peace deal that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and secures its borders.
0. The plan was formally announced at an Arab League Summit in Beirut in March 2003.”
This columnist has had numerous chances to gauge the reaction of the American general public to the Saudi peace plan. Last year a forum was held at the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota in the heartland of the United States. The forum was titled, “Prospects for Peace: A Discussion of Peace Proposals for the Middle East.” Panelists for the discussion attended by over 200 South Dakotans included, Sen. George McGovern, former Democratic nominee for president of the United States; Ms. Robyn Thomas, executive director of the Tikkun, a progressive Jewish organization which supports creation of a Palestinian state and this columnist, who presented the Saudi peace plan.
The audience and the other two panelists showed overwhelming support for the Saudi peace plan and the common question was, “Why haven’t we heard about this incredible peace plan before”? Everyone wants a comprehensive peace and almost all of the participants chose the King Abdullah peace plan as the right vehicle to move peace forward.
Are the Israelis now more ready for this peace plan, a plan that they have rejected many times before?
Time will tell but according to Forward Magazine, a Jewish publication, a top Jewish communal leader, Abraham Foxman, shared his thoughts on this issue recently with the magazine. When Forward asked Foxman about the Saudi peace plan and mentioned the cooperative nature necessary to move on this proposal, he replied that “this could be a moment to bring moderates on all sides closer together.”
The Saudi peace plan needs to be on the top of the agenda of US Secretary of State Condi Rice, while she travels between Middle Eastern capitals. As we all hope and pray that the Lebanon/Palestine crisis will be over soon, we should also encourage our leadership to move forward on the Saudi peace plan. That plan could be the anchor for a peaceful Middle East in our times.
