OTHER, VIEWS

A Formula for Mideast Peace

T

he late Yasser Arafat should be
considered for the Nobel Peace
Prize now The late Palestinian
Authority president clearly didn't deserve
this coveted award when he received it
in 1994.
Only in death did he create perhaps
the best opportunity for reconciliation
between the Israelis and the Palestinians
since the founding of the Jewish state in
1948. Even beyond the Israeli-Palestin-
ian conflict, the elections in Afghanistan,
Iraq and the P.A. could create a powerful
momentum towards democratization in
that part of the world. This push could
lessen, although not eliminate, the threat
of worldwide terrorism.
What must be done to take advantage
of this historic opportunity is fairly clear.
Doing it, however, is very difficult.
Every attempt in the past 57 years has
dismally failed. All the players have a key
role to play, as outlined below, and the
failure to act by any one of them could
undermine the entire process:

Joel D. Tauber, a Southfield business
executive and philanthropist, is a past
president of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.

• The Palestinians must end terror,
build their democratic institutions and
end incitement against Israel specifically,
and Jews generally, in their news media
and in their schools. Some positive signs
and actions are already occurring.
• Israel must respond with positive,
constructive, measured moves as the
Palestinians show true progress. Such
action would include removing mobility
and restrictions in the West Bank and
Gaza, a temporary halt to building of
the "fence," release of prisoners who
don't have "blood on their hands,"
removal of previously identified illegal
settlements, halt expansion of outlying
settlements, (although not "settlements
that are actually suburbs of Jerusalem),
easing restrictions on Palestinian workers
entering Israel, and opening talks on
Gaza withdrawal and the U.S.-brokered
road map. There is a lot that can be
done and is currently being done, but it
must be emphasized that this effort is
only possible in response to progress by
the Palestinians because the Israeli gov-
ernment, as with any government, must
first and foremost protect its citizens
from attack
• Egypt's role is to assist the
Palestinians in building their police

"

E.U. must also continue financial
force, patrolling the Egyptian
support of the Palestinians, but
border with Gaza, mediating
this time with far greater account-
between the various
ability. Economically, the E.U.
Palestinian factions and, most
can provide trade agreements and
importantly, supporting and
concessions that would open their
advocating on behalf of a
markets to Palestinian goods.
peaceful Palestinian state with
Some of these efforts have already
the remainder of the Arab
begun.
JOEL D.
world. Some of this is also
• Russia, as the main military
occurring; Egypt recently
TAUB ER
supplier in the past to the Arab
returned its ambassador to
Commu nity
world, should minimize its
Israel.
Persp ec tive
weapons shipments to the area,
• Jordan's efforts to push for
thereby lessening the potential for
agreement between the par-
ties, provide economic opportunities and a major explosion that would upset the
peace making efforts. As one of the
encourage its own Palestinian majority
sponsors of the road map, the Russians
to support the actions in the Palestinian
should maintain an objective and fair
territories must be accelerated.
• Saudi Arabia must increase the fund- position in the region.
• The United Nations role is to remain
ing from its oil windfall profits to the
neutral, providing consultants on demo-
Palestinians for transparent and mean-
cratic reforms and voting procedures. If
ingful projects instead of terrorist activi-
asked by the parties, the U.N. could pro-
ties.
vide multinational forces to maintain the
• The European Union has a critical
mutually agreed upon borders.
and essential role to play by applying
• Finally there is the United States,
diplomatic pressure to halt the Syrian
whose involvement is an absolute neces-
and Iranian efforts to undermine the
sity. Without consistent and intense
Israeli-Palestinian discussions. Without
mediation efforts from the U.S., any
extreme and constant pressure on these
type of agreement would be difficult if
two nations, there is little hope for suc-
not impossible. Keeping the emotionally
cess in the Israeli-Palestinian talks. The

American Jewry's Role On Gaza

Washington
desk cluttered with papers
— things to do, meetings to
arrange. A demanding com-
puter monitor — so many e-mails
relentlessly calling for response. Yet
my sense that we are approaching a
watershed moment in Jewish history
makes me want to push everything
else aside.
I ask myself what we might do in
the organized American Jewish com-
munity, the largest and most influ-
ential diaspora community, to help
prevent a looming confrontation —
possibly, heaven forbid, violent in
nature — between opposing forces
in Israel.
This July, Israel will implement
the government's plan to evacuate
Jews living in the Gaza Strip and
areas of the West Bank. Opponents
of this policy, as we have been hear-
ing and reading, are preparing a
series of measures, including massive

A

JN

4/14

2005

32

Martin J. Raffel is acting executive
director of the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs. His e-mail address is
MRaffel@thejcpa.org

civil disobedience intended to pre-
vent this from taking place. Other,
more radical opponents, we have
been informed, may be planning
even more extreme actions.
There is the appearance here of
two speeding trains on a collision
course. Not just any trains, but ones
carrying our Jewish brothers and sis-
ters in Israel.
I firmly believe that there is a
Jewish community consensus posi-
tion on this issue. While there are
thoughtful people on both sides of
the disengagement policy, the organ-
ized Jewish community overwhelm-
ingly supports it. And it is not sim-
ply because it is a policy of the dem-
ocratically elected Israeli govern-
ment in Jerusalem.
I believe the support is fundamen-
tally rooted in the merits of the ini-
tiative, which was intended not as a
reward to the Palestinians, but as a
necessary step to preserve Israel's
Jewish and democratic character.
The fact that it will now be coordi-
nated with a new Palestinian leader,
who appears to be serious about a
peaceful resolution of the conflict, is

we should avoid becoming
a bonus.
enmeshed in Israel's internal
I believe our Jewish com-
political discussions. Over
munity has great empathy
time, that principle has
for Jewish residents in the
served us well and has rein-
Gaza Strip and West Bank,
forced an understanding of
who must make painful per-
our primary role, which is to
sonal sacrifices by leaving
advocate for a strong U.S.-
their homes of many years.
Israel relationship and to
In addition, there is recogni-
MARTIN J.
help
Israel meet the social
tion of the national sacrifice
RAFFEL
and
economic
challenges it
associated with departing
Special
faces.
parts of our beloved land of
Commentary
But there are rare times
Israel.
when it is much more than a
We also respect the right
simple political debate, when what
of those who disagree with the gov-
is happening goes to the core of
ernment's policies to engage in legal
Israel's identity as the state of the
protest. But we reject and denounce
Jewish people, when the very future
any call for violence or efforts to
of the Zionist enterprise is on the
delegitimize the country's democrat-
line. I believe we are at such a junc-
ic processes. With deep emotions
ture in Jewish history.
rising on both sides, it is incumbent
upon all responsible leaders, whatev-
er their position may be on disen-
Avoiding Tragedy
gagement, to express their views
Even though 10 years have passed, I
with civility.
remember the moment as though it
It has been a basic principle in our
was yesterday, when my wife came
community that as American Jews
to me with the shocking news that
— who live here and not there,
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
whose children are not asked to
had been assassinated by a Jewish
serve in the Israel Defense Forces —

