Monday, February 14, 2011

Israel's options

From an excellent article by Daniel Levy:

"Maintaining the peace treaty with Egypt has morphed over time. The peace process under Mubarak's tenure has ultimately entrenched occupation and settlements and made a mockery of its Arab participants.

Post-transition Egypt is unlikely to continue playing this game. And without Mubarak's enthusiastic endorsement, the process itself is likely to further unravel. It is hard to imagine other Arab states leaping into this breach, or the Palestinians accepting 20 more years of peace-process humiliation, or indeed of Syria adopting the Egyptian model and signing a stand-alone peace agreement with Israel.

Israel's strategic environment is about to change. Israel’s options would appear to be narrowing. Thus far Israeli establishment voices have discussed two options. One has been to dig in, to fear-monger, to convince the West that Israel is its outpost of stability in a sea of hostility, and to hope the military stays in power and democracy is tamed.

New options

In the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu, "might" is the answer. The second approach advocates an urgent return to the peace process. Neither will work. The first will exacerbate Israel's predicament, and the second is too little too late.

Israel has a third option, albeit one that is dramatic and out of synch with today's zeitgeist. It would be perhaps Israel's best and last chance for a two-state solution. While it would involve cutting Israel’s losses, it would also have the potential of unleashing huge benefits - economic, security and more, for an Israel accepted as part of the tapestry of a democratic Middle East.

Broadly speaking, this option has three components. First, an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 armistice lines almost without preconditions or exceptions - minor, equitable and agreed-upon land swaps and international security guarantees could fall into the latter category.

Second, Israel should undertake an act of genuine acknowledgement of the dispossession and displacement visited on the Palestinian people, including compensating refugees where appropriate, and thus set in motion the possibility of reconciliation. Third, there needs to be a clear Israeli commitment to full equality for all of its citizens, notably including removal of the structural barriers to full civil rights for the Palestinian Arab minority.

Admittedly, this is a path less traveled and one likely to remain so, and while the alternatives to this path may well include democracy in the region, they could preclude a future for the State of Israel.

Much will also depend on the next steps that Palestinian leaders take. It would be a strategic error of momentous proportions to revive the old and failed modalities of the peace process. Albeit both belatedly and driven by external developments, it is time for a reunified Palestinian national movement and a renewed and relevant Palestinian strategy for freedom to emerge."

8 comments :

JaySF said...

Obviously you only put what israel must do. From the start this is already trash. The problem lies with your solution and all the arabs solution, its only what israel needs to do. You did not mention anything about what the palestinians need to concede or need to do. And you might as well say the 1948 lines not pre-67 lines, it just shows how you play with words. You already lost all credibility. Good try though!!!!

Don Cox said...

Nothing the Israelis do will satisfy those who want to see all Jews driven out of the Middle East. This includes Hamas and Hezb'allah.

Iraqi Mojo said...

This article was written by Daniel Levy, and in his last paragraph he says:

"Much will also depend on the next steps that Palestinian leaders take. It would be a strategic error of momentous proportions to revive the old and failed modalities of the peace process. Albeit both belatedly and driven by external developments, it is time for a reunified Palestinian national movement and a renewed and relevant Palestinian strategy for freedom to emerge."

tapline said...

Mojo, this logic says that we should reestablish Kurdistan, Why was that divided between three countries??? and we could go on and on and they could continue to fight for what they feel is right. To exist is really important.. As far as Isreal and the Pali's are concerned, if the DNA was taken from both nationalities they would probably be close if not the match....Of course, I could be all wet, but ???....

K said...

Iran 25 bahman 14 Feb 2011 Tehran, near Enghelab Sq Free political prisoner

Source: YouTube

Iraqi Mojo said...

I believe Kurds have a right to their own country, but Kirkuk must be shared.

Even without a country called Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurds have self-determination. They can vote in Iraqi elections and they have become quite powerful in Iraqi politics.

Can the Palestinians vote in Israeli elections?

K said...

Iran 25 bahman 14 Feb 2011 Tehran, near Enghelab Sq

Source: YouTube

Iraqi Mojo said...

"Nothing the Israelis do will satisfy those who want to see all Jews driven out of the Middle East. This includes Hamas and Hezb'allah."

Does Hamas and HizbAllah really want Jews driven out of the ME? Today in 2011 I think a majority of Arabs have come to accept the existence of Israel. They may not agree that Palestine should have been partitioned, but they have realized that Israel is there to stay and that it would be wrong to do to the Israelis what was done to the Palestinians in 1948.