American Elder Statesmen Endorse CNI’s Stance on Negotiations
Posted July 13, 2009
By Brian Doyle and Shane McCarthy
CNI Staff Writers
brian@cnionline.org and shane@cnionline.org
The Foundation for Middle East Peace, a Washington-based non-profit promoting a just Israeli-Palestinian accord, unveiled a DVD “New Hope for Peace: What America Must do to End the Israel Palestine Conflict” at the US Institute for Peace today in which four American elder statesmen—former President Jimmy Carter, former Secretary of State James Baker, and former National Security Advisors Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski—give recommendations to the Obama Administration on how to make Arab-Israeli peace. All four statesmen suggest that Obama should use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to publicly declare support for a two state solution along the lines of the 2001 Taba Summit (Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, a largely demilitarized Palestinian state, no “right of return” to pre-1967 Israel, and a shared Jerusalem). The four believe that the US would be able to line up support for such a proposal from throughout the world, including the Arab world, as an agreement would very closely resemble the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
The part of the DVD that will raise the most eyebrows is the contention of the four statesmen that the United States and Israel should with negotiate with Hamas. They noted the internal differences amongst Hamas, especially between the leadership on the ground in Gaza and the exiled leadership in Damascus. Dismissing the notion that Hamas can not be talked to until certain preconditions are met, Baker noted that, “You talk to your enemies,” while Scowcroft said that the US “ought to talk to Hamas,” and Brzezinski stated that we “have to talk to everyone if we want to move toward peace.” Baker contends that it is necessary to “find a construct” that will include Hamas if peace is to succeed. The four pointed out that public US pressure would help both Arab and Israeli leaders sell a peace plan to skeptical publics.
Following a screening of the film, the USIP held a panel discussion on the film and the issues discussed. Moderated by noted retired diplomat Samuel W. Lewis, the panel consisted of Dr. Ziad Asali, President of the American Task Force on Palestine, Jonathan Schanzer, author of Hamas vs Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine and Deputy Director of the Jewish Policy Center, and Toni Verstandig, Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Development.
While an array of issues were addressed, the panel agreed that the problems confronting a final peace plan would emerge in the details of the negotiations. Currently, there is a fundamental dilemma in that diplomats and peacemakers are unsure as to who should serve as the spokesman for the Palestinian people. Schanzer made clear that there were still tensions flaring between the different leadership factions of Hamas and Fatah, and that to undertake all-party talks it must be determined who is in charge.
There was some debate as to what actions should be taken by the President and Congress in order to move the peace process forward. One panelist stated that it may not be necessary for the US to cut off funding to Israel in order to coax them into changing their policies. If President Obama laid out the position of the US in terms of what the final two-state solution should look like, then Israeli leaders may be able to promote further negotiations by telling the Israeli public they are taking necessary steps to protect Israel’s special relationship with the US.
During the question and answer portion, many in the audience, ranging from a Jewish-American activist to a serving Navy SEAL, expressed concern about the negative impact unconditional US backing of Israel played in the conflict. Retired Foreign Service Officer Stephen Buck, leader of CNI’s recent trip to the Middle East, brought up the issue of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the panel agreed that there was no excuse for the abuses and human rights violations which have taken place. Verstandig also mentioned how it was important to remember the fact that Hamas, while involved with antagonism and terrorism, was democratically elected and must be viewed in this light. In response to a question from a CNI staffer regarding the role of the US Congress and its strong support for Israel plays in the equation, Verstandig mentioned that for the first time in decades the President, State Department, and Congress were working toward the same policy goals in the region and that when President Netanyahu met with the Congressional Jewish Caucus he was on the defensive. This current alignment of views by the White House, Congress, and State Department is a “game changer” and provides an optimistic prospect for a lasting peace deal, she said.
What will most likely be the final and most difficult piece to the Israel-Palestine jigsaw puzzle is the status of Jerusalem itself. Any final agreement, Asali noted, must take not only national political considerations, but municipal and religious ones into account as well. Moderator Samuel Lewis noted that unlike the other points of a possible agreement, there is “no viable formula” ready to go for Jerusalem. Asali pointed out that the Jerusalem question was “bigger” that just the Israelis and Palestinians. The panelists and statesmen in the DVD recognized that the entire international community has a vested interest in Jerusalem, and it must be shared in any lasting solution.
Perhaps most interesting of all the panelist comments was that of Schanzer, who suggested that a possible solution to the settlement issue is not to remove all of them, but to transfer them to a future Palestinian state, with settlers who choose to stay having the option of becoming Palestinian citizens.
It is heartening to see these four prominent foreign policy luminaries, two Republicans and two Democrats, endorse CNI’s long held position that the US must launch a major effort for a comprehensive Israel-Palestine peace that includes all relevant parties, no matter how unsavory they may be. While the panelists made clear that many obstacles are present and challenges are ahead, it is encouraging to see the enthusiasm and momentum building in Washington for a new direction in American policy towards the Middle East.
Tags: Arab Peace Initiative, Arab World, Brent Scowcroft, Hamas, Israel, James Baker, Jimmy Carter, Middle East, Middle East Peace, negotiations, Palestine, US Institute for Peace, Zbigniew Brzezinski
