The essence of Crown Prince Abdullah’s message, delivered through his recent interview published in the New York Times, is clear and unambiguous: If Israel hopes to establish full diplomatic and economic relations with its Arab neighbors, it must withdraw to its pre-1967 borders and also sign a peace treaty with the Palestinians.
Much of the world applauds the message. First, because it comes from Saudi Arabia, the heart of Islam; and, second, because it is delivered by Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz, an Arab leader widely respected for his intellect and diplomatic acumen.
Praise for the crown prince’s announcement has been enthusiastic, particularly so from Palestinians, and from Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab states. The White House characterizes the Saudi overture as “a note of hope.” Many foreign affairs experts in the Gulf see the crown prince’s peace proposal as the most significant strategic thinking to come out of the Arab world since the 1991 Middle East Conference.
Sadly, Israel’s leadership has greeted the initiative with indifference. Instead of pursuing peace, the Sharon-Peres government prefers to sustain its presence in the occupied territories and to continue the construction of illegal settlements. More Israelis have been killed during the brief and bloody tenure of the Sharon regime than during the combined terms of two previous prime ministers.
Moshe Katsav, Israel’s president, officially greeted the news of Prince Abdullah’s announcement by saying he was willing to discuss the proposal in Riyadh or even to meet with the crown prince in Jerusalem.
But Katsav is a political figurehead, and many in the Arab world see his overture as a ploy to merely “test the political waters” in Israel and measure the mood of the Israeli electorate.
Cynically, Sharon has recently expressed a readiness to meet with anybody from Saudi Arabia “formally, informally, publicly, discreetly, whatever to get better information about this initiative.” But the move, propelled by increased public discontent with the ineffectiveness of his leadership, is a transparent effort to “not appear opposed to peace.”
It is also clear that Sharon’s change of heart is intended to marginalize Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, whom he loathes and has sought to undermine during much of his professional career.
Many people — this writer included — believe that if Sharon sees an opportunity for true and lasting peace in the Saudi initiative, he would, with a single phone call, request Israelis to end all violence directed at Palestinians.
Sharon’s contempt for the Saudi peace overture is somehow justified by media pundits in Israel and the United States who speculate that Riyadh is merely trying to “improve its standing with the US government” in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In a recent interview with National Public Radio, an American network, I was asked whether Saudi Arabia’s peace initiative was motivated by the Kingdom’s desire to “express its loyalty” to the United States. My answer: “Saudi Arabia is not a ‘banana republic’.”
This month’s summit meeting of the Arab League will focus much of its attention on building on Crown Prince Abdullah’s initiative to create a comprehensive strategy for regional peace.
Their work will be exhaustive: Future peace talks will match Arab negotiators with shrewd Israeli strategists.
If these new peace talks are to be successful at all, the Bush administration — which has tacitly endorsed Sharon’s policy of repression and illegal occupation — should take a more neutral stance. The United States should remember that normalization is crucial to Israel’s overall security. Washington must “gently nudge” Sharon and “discreetly” inform him that his failed policies are detrimental to the interests of both Israel and the United States.
Additionally, President Bush must tone down his public rhetoric: His inflammatory language — “we are engaged in a global crusade,” “axis of evil,” “us against them,” and so on — only serves to alienate the Arab community and encourage Sharon’s bloody rampage.
Some so-called “defense experts” in Israel see the past months of violence as a “war of attrition.” Really? Do they realize that within Israel’s traditional borders there is a large population of Israeli-Arabs, and that it is growing rapidly? And do they realize the population in the occupied territories — despite the huge daily death toll — is also increasing?
In the Arab world, young people are looking toward the future. Their focus is on education, technology and science. However, they are not willing to sit and watch Sharon’s storm troopers pursue an anti-Arab holocaust.
In Israel, too, there are many who recognize that Crown Prince Abdullah’s historic offer represents the last chance for peace in the region. A majority of Israelis want to forget the past and get on with their lives — no matter how loudly fringe elements on the Israeli right call for Palestinian blood.
This is probably their last chance.
