views
essay
Back In Bounds?
Dusty Arab peace plan just might get Palestinians and Israel talking.
T
he way back toward solving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict might
lie in both sides accepting the con-
tours of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative,
once thought relegated to the diplomatic
scrap heap.
The initiative, brokered by the Arab
League, would have to
be viewed as a starting
point for moving for-
ward and be subject to
vigorous discussion and
debate. Only selected
planks of the initiative
would have a legitimate
shot at reviving peace
Robert Sklar
talks from seemingly
Contributing Editor
intractable political
moorings.
Perhaps as outreach
to detractors of his hard
right-leaning Likud government, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has embraced elements of the Saudi-
advanced initiative. He’s seeking a new
path toward resolving a conflict for the
ages. Intransigence between Israel and the
Palestinians, largely Sunni Arabs, dates to
before Israeli statehood in 1948.
The conflict is one of cultures, teach-
ings and politics colliding.
for regional accord because President
Donald Trump dared recognize Jerusalem
as Israel’s capital and dared challenge the
United Nations definition of a “Palestinian
refugee.”
In truth, all final-status negotiating
issues remain: Jerusalem, refugees, bor-
ders, settlements, mutual recognition,
water rights, holy rights.
Israel acknowledges that the Palestinian
Authority, of which Abbas is president,
represents the Fatah government in
Palestinian-controlled areas of the West
Bank. The P.A. calls Israel an “occupier” of
Palestinian land, not the sovereign state
of the Jewish people — hardly a welcome
mat to negotiating. Israel and much of the
West, including the U.S. and the European
Union, consider Hamas, which rules the
Gaza Strip, a terrorist organization.
Israel’s military presence in the West
Bank protects against Palestinian terror
arising from a Palestinian-encouraged
culture of hate toward anyone or anything
Zionist. Such a presence would be open
to negotiations, but it no doubt wouldn’t
disappear entirely. Just last week, an Israeli
Arab stabbed to death an Israeli Jewish
father of four at a bus stop near the West
Bank settlement of Ariel, a reminder of a
violent nature within Palestinian society.
A BASELINE
AN OPPORTUNITY
Rants by Palestinian leader Mahmoud
Abbas about Israel’s Jewish roots are
the latest setback to lasting peace. Such
rants shouldn’t diminish the prospect for
direct, bilateral negotiations in pursuit of
a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish
state, coexisting in peace with clear, safe,
secure borders. At 82 and unhinged,
Abbas no longer is the guy to help foster
peace. But seeking a process for peace
cannot end.
Abbas went off half-cocked in brand-
ing the U.S. a biased player in the chase
The Arab world is eyeing the Arab Peace
Initiative once more. The plan calls for
Israel’s withdrawal from land won in the
1967 Six-Day War, including the West
Bank, the Golan Heights, east Jerusalem
and Gaza.
Israel foresees a sovereign Palestinian
state in much of the West Bank outside
larger Jewish settlement blocs. Mutually
agreed-to land swaps would help, but full
return to pre-1967 borders would leave
Israel incalculably vulnerable to terrorist
and military attacks.
Contributing Writers:
Ruthan Brodsky, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne
Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari
S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Adam
Finkel, Stacy Gittleman, Stacy Goldberg, Judy
Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss
Ingber, Allison Jacobs, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer
Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz,
David Sachs, Karen Schwartz, Robin Schwartz,
Steve Stein, Joyce Wiswell
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher / Executive Editor
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
| Editorial
Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@renmedia.us
Story Development Editor:
Keri Guten Cohen
kcohen@renmedia.us
Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin
lkonstantin@renmedia.us
Digital/Social Media Editor:
Hannah Levine
hlevine@renmedia.us
Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@renmedia.us
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com
Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar
rsklar@renmedia.us
| Advertising Sales
Sales Director: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Account Executives :
Wendy Flusty, Annette Kizy
Giving up the Golan plateau would be
imprudent. It would give the Lebanon-
based Shiite terrorist organization
Hezbollah, an ally of Syria’s murderous
dictator Bashar Assad and Iran, a militar-
ily strategic descent into northern Israel.
The Heights provide protection against
invasion from the north.
As for Jerusalem, there must be a way
to grant Arabs in Arab-dominated neigh-
borhoods of the eastern sector a degree
of everyday and governmental autonomy
within strictures of a unified city under
Israeli oversight.
But the long-dormant plan could be a touchstone to
something more and better. Nothing else has worked.
Regarding Palestinian “refugees,” Israel
and the U.S. have broached adopting the
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
definition of “refugee” — a sensible tact.
The definition would make only the 20,000
Palestinians who left Israel between 1947
and 1949 “eligible to return,” according
to Jerusalem Post political columnist
Caroline Glick. That definition would defy
the Palestinian demand for a mass immi-
gration of refugees and descendants; the
upwards of 5 million foreign-born Arabs
would doom Israel’s Jewish majority.
THINKING BIG
A negotiated version of the Arab Peace
Initiative could normalize relations
between the Arab League and Israel.
Given Israeli wariness toward Arab sincer-
ity and chunks of the plan, Israel remains
non-committal toward the offer. But
Netanyahu hasn’t rejected engaging it.
Netanyahu pitched the plan in 2016,
when the international community was
further marginalizing Israel; nothing
| Production By
FARAGO & ASSOCIATES
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki
Designers: Kelly Kosek, Amy Pollard,
Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker
| Detroit Jewish News
Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt
President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett
kbrowett@renmedia.us
Controller: Craig R. Phipps
| Social Media Producer
Andrea Gusho
socialmedia@thejewishnews.com
Sales Manager Assistants :
Karen Marzolf
| Business Offices
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner
became of that diplomatic olive branch.
Was the prime minister serious that
Israel was “willing to negotiate with the
Arab states’ revisions to that initiative” —
revisions reflective of “dramatic changes
in the region since 2002” and aligned with
the “agreed goal of two states for two
peoples”? Spotlight the revised plan on
an international stage and we’ll see. The
Palestinians certainly would feel Arab
League pressure to sit and talk.
Over the years, various state players
besides the U.S. have tried to coax Israel
and the P.A. into revisiting differences,
notably Saudi Arabia, the United Nations,
the European Union, Egypt, Jordan,
Russia, France and China. Ultimately,
broker motives aren’t as important as kick
starting dialogue.
| Fulfillment
Joelle Harder
jharder@renmedia.us
A BEGINNING
The Arab Peace Initiative wouldn’t
heal the cultural fissure exemplified by
Israel’s (rightful) historical claims to
Jews settling in the West Bank and the
Palestinians’ (dreadful) educational
climate teaching youth to die as “mar-
tyrs for Allah” by murdering Jews on
“Zionist-occupied Palestinian land.”
But the long-dormant plan could be
a touchstone to something more and
better. Nothing else has worked.
On Feb. 5, Abbas said he’d enter
new, multilateral peace talks under
parameters of international scrutiny
and the Arab Peace Initiative. His
approach would be unwieldy and inef-
fective amid a cascade of clashing
interests.
Still, Abbas’ mention of the plan
coupled with Netanyahu’s optimism
for elements of it give pause to imag-
ining the Arab Peace Initiative as a
potential way back toward tackling a
time-ravaged conflict. •
| Departments
General Offi ces: 248-354-6060
Advertising: 248-351-5107
Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049
Circulation: 248-351-5120
Classifi ed Ads: 248-351-5116
Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m.
Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885
Deadline: All public and social
announcements must be typewritten
and received by noon Tuesday, nine days
prior to desired date of publication.
Subscriptions:
1 year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $85
2 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$153
3 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$204
1 year out-of-state . . . . . . . . . . .$125
2 years out-of-state . . . . . . . . . .$225
Per year foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . .$300
Detroit Jewish News
29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110
Southfi eld, MI 48034
©copyright 2018 Detroit Jewish News
The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is
published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send
changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200
Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.
To make a donation to the
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfounadtion.org
OUR JN The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that’s useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen
Jewish unity and continuity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive
MISSION member of the community. Being competitive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied
advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth.
6
February 15 • 2018
jn
jn
1942 - 2018
Covering and Connecting
Jewish Detroit Every Week