THE WEEKEND’S DEADLY assaults against Palestinians and Israelis should not, as some observers believe might, cast a shadow on the recent peace initiative put forth by Crown Prince Abdullah. The initiative has brought a welcome glimmer of hope to a land that has almost despaired of peace. And Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa himself believes the proposal has come at the right time.
It is of course hard to talk about peace and diplomatic normalization with such deadly hatred on daily display. But after 17 months of unrelenting violence, Crown Prince Abdullah has revived the hope that peace maybe achieved after all.
This is the time for the initiative, because this is the time to strike — when the iron is hot. The emergence of this new diplomatic initiative puts Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the spot. The principle of negotiating a withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders is a recurring theme of all the long-term peace plans currently in circulation. And Sharon, at least for new, lacks an alternative. He is now in deep political trouble at home for his failure to deal with the crisis that has substantially deepened on his watch. Fifty-three percent of Israelis surveyed in a Maariv poll are dissatisfied with Sharon’s overall performance; 73 percent say he has not fulfilled his promises while 68 percent say they are not better off since With so much disappointment with Sharon,the proposal might be appealing to people within Israel as well.
A fierce opponent of the Oslo accords and a long-time champion of Israeli settlements, Sharon may never fully comply with a full Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in the 1967 war as stipulated in Crown Prince Abdullah’s initiative, in return for Arab recognition of Israel and normalizing relations with it. Still, it is becoming increasingly clear that the debate over Israel’s security is inexorably linked to the question of its long-term intentions and Sharon must recognize that there can be no permanent exit from the violence without a clear vision of eventual peace.
He should also realize he cannot ignore the initiative completely after growing international momentum for the proposal began. It has generated a sense of expectation and even excitement and is being hailed as the most important initiative since the Madrid talks of 1991. The initiative is sure to set off bitter arguments in Israel about withdrawing Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank. There is also concern that Sharon will try to turn the initiative into an issue for discussion without committing himself to a withdrawal which underpins the entire proposal. Another issue of concern is American support. The plan has elicited positive responses from the US because its message to the US is that a majority of Arabs seek peace. Full American backing is essential if the initiative is to avoid the fate of its predecessors. Abdullah himself said the United States should assume a primary role for this would give the process greater credibility and effectiveness. Yasser Arafat said the initiative’s chances for success depended on immediate American support. President Bush has expressed cautious praise for the proposal. However Washington prefers to emphasize efforts to reduce day-to-day violence while the initiative urges that negotiations toward a long-term solution be revived even before a cease-fire is achieved. Americans and Israelis are keen on the normalization part of the plan and vague about the depth of Israeli withdrawal it would require.
Still the initiative is the best available option. It would raise the heat on Sharon, who has spent a year in office trying to bar a return to Oslo. With the Oslo agreement in tatters, the initiative is the closest thing to a peace plan now circulating.
