Other Voices
"We are hopeful that the parties will return to
the negotiating table before long. This may be
the last opportunity to reach a peace agreement
for many years to come.
"We commend President Clinton for his
untiring efforts to reach an agreement. We are
proud of Israeli Prime Minister Barak, who
exhibited great courage and strength during the
process. Israel was willing to make sacrifices for
peace with its neighbors, and it will continue to
have the support of the American Jewish com-
munity in its ongoing search for peace."
Kathleen Straus, president, Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit
"At this moment, Barak is fighting for his
political career, so he's not going to give in, and
Arafat cannot compromise any more — he has
compromised enough.
"I am disappointed more with the United
States than with the two leaders, because the
United States has on the table something that
they could enforce U.N. Resolutions 242 and
338, that basically gives justice for both sides
and allows peace to take place.
"What happens now is more despair for the
Palestinian people. We are looking for just
peace, and I am hoping that they will take that
period to look at what is really at issue and how
we can address those issues so both sides could
live in peace, justice and security without one
dominating the other."
— Terry Ahwal
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
"Almost half the country (Israel) wanted this
peace agreement to work, therefore they are very
sad and upset and anxious. The other half didn't
want it to happen, and therefore on the one hand
they're relieved, because this process was a threat
to the way they see the world. But I think they're
also anxious because everybody realizes that this
could have some kind of violent reaction.
"There's no clear majority that opposed it or
was in favor of it, and that's the whole problem.
If there was, the whole process would be easier."
— Mark Myers
Detroit community shaliach
"There can be little doubt that while Prime
Minister Barak was willing to take steps beyond
what any of his predecessors was willing to do,
Chairman Arafat chose to follow the long-
standing Palestinian negotiating model of 'all or
nothing.'
"Coupled with a threat to take unilateral
action after mid-September, this amounts to
attempted extortion, not negotiations. The
Palestinian side must make the necessary corn-
promises to come to a real and lasting peace."
— Richard Heideman
president, B'nai B'rith International
7/28
2000
Peering Into The Abyss
Israel braces for turmoil after Camp David failure.
DAVID LANDAU and NAOMI SEGAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jerusalem
Legislator Uri Savir, a longtime peace negotiator and
a member of the Center Party, predicted that Tuesday's
collapse would only result in a brief hiatus and that the-
peace process would go on through other channels.
Recommending face-to-face talks without an
American presence, he noted that Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat had several times in the past
brought the peace process into crisis, only to allow it to
resume and move forward in subsequent rounds.
ith the failure of the Camp David
summit, Israelis are bracing for a polit-
ical shift and increased tensions with
IVIIr the Palestinians.
The future of the peace process remains uncertain.
The coming days and weeks will witness a complex
interplay between events in Israel and the Palestinian
Placing Blame
self-rule areas. How these events will come
Barak sounded a defiant note at
together is difficult to predict.
his news conference Tuesday,
Speculation is now rampant over
saying he had done everything
what Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
he could to try to reach a final
S B 0
Barak's next steps will be —
peace agreement with the
whether he will seek a national
The complete trilater
Palestinians. He also said he still
unity government with the Likud
ement, issued by the
hoped to end the Israeli-Arab con-
Party opposition, try to rebuild his
flict — but not at any price.
rael and the Palel
coalition or seek early elections.
Barak placed the blame
At a news conference immedi-
for the summit's failure
ately after the summit's collapse,
etroilvis
squarely on Arafat.
Barak said, his voice heavy with
a .0
Despite Israel's willingness
fatalistic resolve, that the people of
to make far-reaching con-
Israel "will know how to unite in
cessions, Barak said,
the face of danger." The tenor of
Arafat could not yield on
his remarks seemed to indicate he
Jerusalem.
expects more strife ahead, rather than more diplo-
"The vision of peace is not dead, but it sus-
matic efforts to bridge gaps that proved unbridgeable
tained a heavy blow because of the Palestinian
during the summit.
stubbornness," Barak said. "Arafat was afraid to
In Jerusalem, political observers said he was refer-
take the historic decision needed at this time to
ring to political strife, not military conflict. They said
bring an end to the conflict."
Barak's talk of danger and unity was a hint about
Barak also said Israel's positions "received full
forming a national unity government with Likud.
legitimacy from the American government" — a
claim that was backed up by Clinton, who indicated
Moving Forward
at his news conference that the Israeli side was more
willing to compromise than the Palestinian.
Other Israelis, as well as some American and
While he praised both sides for making "progress
Palestinian pundits, preferred to focus on a com-
on all the core issues," the president said, "it is fair
ment that President Bill Clinton made Tuesday.
to say" that Barak "moved forward from his initial
In his own post-summit news conference, Clinton
position more" than Arafat.
said the issues discussed at Camp David needed "to
At the same time, however, Clinton made it clear
percolate" for some time before their full effect could
that he was not blaming anybody. He said his com-
be gauged and the way forward clearly seen.
ment was "not so much as a criticism of Arafat,
In particular, Clinton said, a debate had already
because this is really hard and had never been done
begun within Israel over the issue of Jerusalem,
before, but in praise of Barak."
which he described as the "most difficult problem"
For his part, Barak said all concessions and pro-
blocking Israel and the Palestinians from reaching an
posals Israel had agreed to during the course of the
agreement at Camp David.
summit were now "invalid" and could not serve as
Barak, too, welcomed the "significant and legiti-
an opening point for any future discussions. -
mate debate" regarding Jerusalem that the summit
He refused to comment directly on whether he
has triggered within Israel.
had
agreed to a form of Palestinian sovereignty in
The prime minister mentioned at his news con-
eastern Jerusalem.
ference, almost in passing, that a senior U.S. official
Barak cited a statement from all three parties
would soon be dispatched to the Middle East in an
released at the end of the summit calling on all sides
effort to salvage the peace process from what he
to refrain from unilateral measures and to try to pre-
described as the "heavy blow" it had suffered from
vent violence. The trilateral statement also said Israel
the failure of the two-week summit.
Not all Israelis, however, were pessimistic about
Related editorial: page 33
efforts to renew the negotiations.
•