"On my recent trip to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, The West Bank, and Gaza, I felt the frustration and hunger of people on all sides who have grown tired of broken promises, tired of peace talks that lead to more war, tired of more war that leads to more desperation and more cynicism."
"We have reached a new moment in an old conflict- a conflict that has confounded leaders and diplomats for decades and which to many seems more intractable today than at any time in recent memory. I am convinced that despite Palestinian divisions, renewed outbreak of war, continued firing of rockets from Gaza, and Israel's political turns, this can actually be a moment of opportunity." - John Kerry 3/4/09
On March 4th, the Saban Center at the Brookings Institute hosted Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing the Obama Administration in the Middle East. The Senator has recently returned from a fact finding mission to the Middle East. The five-term Senator from Massachusetts, focused his remarks on the way forward in the Middle East peace process.
The text of Senator Kerry's remarks can be found here, and the video can be found here.
Senator Kerry saw for himself that the failure to create peace results in daily consequences for the people of Israel and Palestine, especially the youngest ones. During his travels, he witnessed children in Izbet Abed Rabo (Gaza) who play in the rubble, where months ago, buildings stood. In Sderot, he learned that children spend most of their days never more than fifteen seconds away from safety areas. In response to the resolve and dignity of the citizens of both peoples, the Senator realized the immediate need to change the long standing political dynamic. Said the Senator, "If we fall back into the same patterns of incomplete, stalled talks, and small-bore negotiations, we will fail because we will empower those who don't want peace to veto the process."
"Leadership will determine which side of the ledger we will fall on. Leadership by all- by each state in the troubled region- but above all, leadership by the United States of America. There is a window of opportunity that we must seize by showing, with actions more than words, that it will not just be business as usual in the Middle East."
In his speech, Senator Kerry laid out four ideas that can improve the chances to move the peace process forward:
Tectonic Shift In Middle East Geopolitics
Senator Kerry believes that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs to be re-conceptualized as a regional problem that demands a regional solution. The challenges there- Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Middle East peace process- form an interconnected web that requires an intergrated approach. He thinks that the President is right to open the door to direct engagement with Iran and Syria, in order to create a relationship based on exploring areas of mutual interest. Our challenge is to translate these regional dynamics into tangible progress towards peace, which leads to his next point.
The Arab Peace Initiative and The Regional Roadmap
The Senator feels that one reason the Camp David negotiations failed was a lack of buy-in from Arab states, whose support would have given Israel the broader peace it seeks and Palestinians the necessary cover to make difficult decisions. The Arab Peace Intiative, proposed in 2002 by Saudi King Abdullah, addresses this issue. Through this Initiative, all 23 Arab nations have agreed to the basic formula of land for peace, recognition of the State of Israel, and the normalization of relations.
In order to flesh out the promise of the Initiative, he would like to expand it into a Regional Roadmap. This would formalize the more immediate role that Arab nations must play and it would provide real accountability. In this Roadmap, all Arab nations would work with Fatah and Hamas to create a Unity Government that satisfies the Quartet conditions of ceasing violence, recognizing Israel, and honoring previous agreements. They would also assist in preventing arms smuggling, training security forces, and contributing to reconstruction in the West Bank and Gaza.
Outlines of Final Status Agreement
Between the Geneva Accords, the post-Annapolis negotiations, and the Clinton 2000 parameters, the participants understand the basic shape of the main final status issues - borders, right of return, and Jerusalem. For Senator Kerry, the challenge is how to get to that point. He believes that the answer is to move simultaneously on capacity-building and final status issues.
As Israeli and Palestinial officals decide the final details of a peace deal, the easier it will be to build security, determine the details of governance, attract investment, and build the economy. In his opinion, the agreement should drive the details, not the other way around.
U.S. Role As Active and Creative Agent For Peace
According to the Senator, there must be an enhanced role for the regional players, however, nothing can substitute for our crucial role in the peace process. In the past, peace has been closest when American leadership encouraged everyone to make hard choices and earned credibility with all sides.
The appointment of Special Envoy George Mitchell and the active engagement of the Obama Administration are positive steps. With respect to Israel, the U.S. must demonstrate, with actions rather than words, its seriousness about the freezing of settlement activity in the West Bank. Israel must recommit to its agreement at Annapolis to stop all settlement activity.
For the Palestinians, the U.S. must deliver humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance to Gaza, as well as provide more support for the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. must ask the Palestinians for an increased capacity to govern effectively and an end to their corruption.
In conclusion, Senator Kerry notes that none of us can afford to continue on the present course. On both sides, facts on the ground are conspiring to make a solution more difficult. To avoid living in a state of endless conflict, confrontation, and outright war, there must be courage, leadership and risk-taking to make peace now.
To show support for Senator Kerry for his work towards peace between the people of Israel and Palestine, contributions can be made at this ActBlue fundraising page.
