Reviving the Middle East Peace Process?

Posted on 04/05/2011 @ 12:30 PM

Tags: Middle East

There are two potentially positive developments with respect to our ongoing work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Both developments provide evidence that the political transitions sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East may indeed provide the necessary impetus to break the long-standing deadlock in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

First is a report of the anticipated launch on April 6 of a new “Israeli Peace Initiative” by a group of prominent Israelis. According to an article in today’s New York Times, the goal of the initiative is the resolution of all outstanding claims and an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict by calls for a Palestinian state on nearly all the West Bank and Gaza with a capital in much of East Jerusalem, an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, and a set of regional security mechanisms and economic cooperation projects.

The initiators of the new initiative include former heads of the Mossad (the Israeli intelligence service), Shin Bet (internal security agency) and the Israeli military. The initiative is reported to be a direct response to the Arab Peace Initiative that was offered by the Arab League in 2002 and again in 2007.

Former head of the Mossad Danny Yatom and a supporter of the new initiative is quoted as saying: “We looked around at what was happening in neighboring countries and we said to ourselves, ‘It is about time that the Israeli public raised its voice as well.’”

Yaakov Perry, former head of Shin Bet, and a supporter of the initiative, stated: “We are isolated internationally and seen to be against peace. I hope this will make a small contribution to pushing our prime minister forward. It is about time that Israel initiates something on peace.”

The second development with positive potential is today’s visit to Washington, DC by Israeli President Shimon Peres. In his capacity as an elder statesman, President Peres is better placed that Prime Minister Netanyahu to break the political impasse in Israel that precludes serious peace negotiations. Peres is expected to engage with President Obama and high-level U.S. diplomats in an attempt to break the current impasse in negotiations. Peres has his work more than cut out for him, especially given the fact that settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank continues, and an announcement of the approval of additional settlement construction plans in east Jerusalem coincided with his U.S. visit.

In a March 7 letter to President Obama, FCNL and other Churches for Middle East Peace members called on the United States and other members of the “Quartet” to show leadership in the midst of the popular uprisings in the Middle East; build on the Arab Peace Initiative; and take bold actions now to help bring about resolution of all final status issues and a definitive end to this conflict. The Israeli Peace Initiative and President Peres’ visit to Washington could signal that we have reached a long-awaited positive turning point in our efforts to bring about a just and lasting Middle East peace.