Optimism despite many ifs and buts

Jan.11, 2008

Optimism despite many ifs and buts


IT is indeed welcome news that US President George W. Bush has expressed confidence that Israel and the Palestinians would sign a peace treaty before he leaves office a year from now.
In fact, the US president has been saying the right things at the right time since the launch of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at Annapolis in November. However, people in the Middle East — who have been and are living with the problems of the region for decades — are sceptical, given the realities on the ground, particularly the pervading belief that the US, which always underlines its "strategic partnership" with Israel, could not be expected to pressure Israel into making the compromises that are essential to peace. The Arab World has always seen the pattern of the US stepping in to protect Israel at various forums, including the United Nations, and pressuring the Palestinians into meeting Israeli demands.
There are many ifs and buts that are hanging in the air as the region looks ahead at the path towards peace, including the reality that the Palestinian community is split, with Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip and refusing to meet the prerequisites for being accepted as part of the effort for peace. However, there is also a conviction that the so-called hardliners would come around when the time is right in terms of significant shifts in the refusink Israeli positions and rejectionist conditions.
It is also uncertain at this juncture how far Israel is willing to go in accepting compromises — particularly in view of its positions on Arab East Jerusalem, Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and the fate of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war.
It was also disturbing to note the finding of opinion polls released on Thursday that Israelis were overwhelmingly pessimistic that Bush's visit to Israel and the West Bank would move peace negotiations with Palestinians forward. One poll found that some 77 per cent of Israelis said they thought he would not succeed while another showed 50 per cent of those surveyed said the Bush visit would not advance peace talks, while 36 per cent said it would.
At the same time, the note of high confidence in the affirmation by Bush that Israeli-Palestinian peace could be achieved in one year indicates a determination, particularly in his comment that
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "have to come together and make tough choices" and "with proper help that the state of Palestine will emerge."
Bush's call on the Israeli leadership to help and not hinder the modernisation of Palestinian security forces and affirmation that the future Palestinian state has to be contiguous are also indicative of a clear understanding of the elements that have to fit into the broader picture of peace in the region.
The words are very encouraging to the people of the Middle East who are anxious to see peace and normalcy being restored to the region so that they could refocus their development efforts and catch up with the rest of the world in an era of enhanced regional and international co-operation.
Let us hope that the determination seen in Bush's proclamations while in the region would be reflected in every American move. All it takes is Washington's recognition and acceptance of the fact that the Palestinians — and indeed the broader Arab World — are not asking for the moon but a fair and just solution to the problem based on their inalienable and legitimtate rights that are enshrined in UN decisions and international conventions, treaties and charters. They are ready to make compromises that do not infringe upon their basic rights and expect Israel not to indulge in pressure tactics and deceptive moves.
The Arab World would not be found wanting at any point as long as fairness and justice is guaranteed for all on the basis of international legitimacy.