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Israel and Palestine: The time for serious peace action is now

07/22/2007

Both Ha'aretz and Jerusalem Post ran op-eds, by Zvi Bar'el and David Kimche, respectively, calling for serious peace talks with "the Palestinians." Since Hamas is not an address for peace talks, "the Palestinians" refers to the government of Mahmud Abbas.

Paradoxically, both articles gave the reasons why such talks are doomed to failure: Abbas cannot deliver the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas. The impression of the futility of such talks is reinforced by an editorial by David Horvitz, editor of Post, which details incitement to terror in the Hamas produced "Tomorrow's Pioneers" kiddie show that feature suicide bombing mice and bees.

The peace process cannot be abandoned, however. Israel and the Palestinians need peace, the Middle East needs peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the Americans need it, and both President Abbas and PM Olmert need to show some accomplishment to strengthen their governments against the assaults of extremists. If there is really "no peace partner" then each side has to bend every effort to make the other side into a peace partner.

What is needed at first is not peace talks, but real peace actions. The West Bank has to be turned into a reasonable facsimile of what a Palestinian state could be and ought to be. The aid that U.S. President Bush announced in his recent speech was a mirage, since almost all the funds were already budgeted. The 255 prisoners that Israel released were a good start, and the integration of Fatah al-Aqsa into the Palestinian security forces was also a positive step, but these are a drop in the bucket. Until now, most of the "peace process" has been characterized by the desire of each side to get something for nothing. Both Olmert and Abbas have to understand that they will not get very much without giving as well. They must both work at first not to achieve paradise in the West Bank, but at least to undo the damages of seven years of Palestinian violence and Israeli reprisals. The Palestinian Authority must finally disarm all of the terror groups as it has promised to do so often, and build a real central security force. As this is accomplished, Israel must begin to remove checkpoints and withdraw from areas that were reoccupied after 2000. It doesn't have to be "for keeps." It can be conditional on keeping the peace, to minimize the risk, but if it is not done now, it will never happen. Palestinian control of terrorists groups like Islamic Jihad is an essential condition for removal of the checkpoints. As long as terrorists hired by Iran are on the loose, there can be no chance for peace. Relaxation of checkpoints while these people are still armed is bound to uncork a wave of terror designed to foil any attempts at reconciliation.

This process must be accompanied by massive investment in infrastructure that will give the Palestinian economy a boost and provided much-needed basic services. If it turns out that the money cannot be managed by Abbas's government, and Tony Blair and Salam Fayyad are unable to put Palestinian institutions on a sound footing, then the projects should be managed by the donors. The Palestinians need roads, hospitals, schools, housing water supply, sewage and industries. The refugee camps represent one of the biggest obstacles to peace. New housing and new towns should be built to house the refugees.

The Israeli government, for its part, must finally and really remove all of the illegal outposts, and begin at least to scale down settlement activity. While the government has introduced draconic across the board budget cuts, and continues to reduce vital defense and education spending, subsidies to the settlements continue unabated. In case you were "worried," an aide to PM Olmert quickly denied rumors that the government would be cutting settlement subsidies.

The above modest goals are not utopian. If they are achieved, the stage will be set for diplomatic and political action. The political action would have to be freely elections in Gaza and the West Bank. If the Fatah/PLO can rehabilitate itself and prove that it can run Palestinian society responsibly in the West Bank, it has a good chance of winning back its place as leaders of the Palestinian people in elections. This approach will prove to both the Palestinian and the Israeli public that the other side is ready for peace and that there is a peace partner. It is hard to imagine, however, that Hamas will give up control without a fight, and the PLO/Fatah must be prepared for that fight.

The diplomatic action should be undertaken in stages and it must be a public process, with each step receiving approval in successive referenda. In that way, both sides will know what they are getting into, and the leadership will know that they have a mandate to carry out the specific terms of each agreement. The first step must be a set of principles that declare mutual recognition in terms that are much less ambiguous than those of the Oslo accords. When these are approved by a referendum and the operative portions put into effect, it will be time to negotiate and vote on a map and a detailed agreement.

Ami Isseroff

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Replies: 4 comments

Gathered from many nations to their own land May 15, 1948. Invaded by Iran and Russia at a later date while at peace

Ezekiel 38

in the latter years thou shalt come into the land [that is] brought back from the sword, [and is] gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.---------And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,--------------Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know [it]?

The two state solution - dividing GODS land

Joel 3

“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land

Peace and Security then sudden desruction at the Day of the Lord

1st Thess 5

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.

Daniel 11:39 --- on the Antichrist

Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge [and] increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

Peace covenant

Daniel 9:27

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Posted by John @ 07/23/2007 02:31 AM CST

Ami, it seems to me that your ideas share a flaw with Oslo in that it suggests that we must first change the situation on the ground for the bettter, which will buiild confidence, which will then make talking about a final deal possible. But our experience with Oslo is that delaying talking about a final deal excuses both sides not doing enough to change the situation on the ground, while the little that is done does not create confidence but only the impression that the Issraelis/Palestinians are being generous for nothing. The Palestinians were unwilling to dismantle the terrorist organization for only a vague promise for peace, and the Israelis likewise didn't want to deal with the settlers for the same reason. This in turn led the Israelis/Palestinians feel they were making concession while terrorism/settlement and occupation continues. I don't see how your propsal deals with that problem. he Palestinians are unlikely to take serious actions for only a distant peace horizon.

Posted by Micha @ 07/23/2007 09:03 PM CST

Ami, it seems to me that your ideas share a flaw with Oslo in that it suggests that we must first change the situation on the ground for the bettter, which will buiild confidence, which will then make talking about a final deal possible. But our experience with Oslo is that delaying talking about a final deal excuses both sides not doing enough to change the situation on the ground, while the little that is done does not create confidence but only the impression that the Issraelis/Palestinians are being generous for nothing. The Palestinians were unwilling to dismantle the terrorist organization for only a vague promise for peace, and the Israelis likewise didn't want to deal with the settlers for the same reason. This in turn led the Israelis/Palestinians feel they were making concession while terrorism/settlement and occupation continues. I don't see how your propsal deals with that problem. he Palestinians are unlikely to take serious actions for only a distant peace horizon.

Posted by Micha @ 07/23/2007 11:22 PM CST

Though optimism seldom pays off in the turbulent Middle East, a unique confluence of three recent developments could—with clear thinking by Israel, Arab leaders, and the West—set the stage for a comprehensive peace deal....
http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/07/24/last-best-chance-for-middle-east-peace/

Posted by Matthew Rojansky @ 07/25/2007 08:10 PM CST


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