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January 2, 2004/Tevet 8 5764, Vol. 56, No. 15
Do not lose hope for peace
BARRY COHEN
Editor
I have little hope for any of the proposed Israeli-Palestinian peace plans, but I do have ideas for intermediate steps that may one day lead to peace.
My ideas begin with the removal of all illegal settlements and the settlements along the Jordanian border and in the heart of the disputed territories, in addition to every settlement in the Gaza Strip.
While this is taking place, the Israelis would complete the construction of the security fence as close as possible to the Green Line and maintain a military presence along the Egyptian border.
My ideas also call for the removal of as many checkpoints as possible. These checkpoints have become unnecessary flash points of violence and a constant source of humiliation for the common Palestinian. With the completion of the security fence, fewer checkpoints will be needed.
These redeployments would be made from a position of military and moral strength. The past three years have taken a toll on Israeli society. Yoel Marcus notes that members of the elite Sayeret Matkal have refused to serve in the territories "because the occupation corrupts." ("The Year of the Fall," Ha'aretz, Dec. 26)
A flaw with previous "land for peace" plans is an unrealistic quid pro quo: Resettling tens of thousands of people within Israel proper would be far easier than expecting the Palestinians to change their values overnight.
Yasser Arafat has facilitated a culture of fear and hate among his people. He has no intention of disarming the Palestinian terrorist groups or changing schools' twisted anti-Zionist curricula.
The Israelis are not only more technologically and militarily advanced than the Palestinians; they also are more morally advanced.
Martin Peretz, editor-in-chief of The New Republic, describes the Arafat-led Palestinian Authority as "a bankrupt program, both morally and politically." Barry Rubin and Judith Cole Rubin describe Arafat as constantly demanding just one more concession, while using terrorist groups, "which he pretends are radical dissident factions," to do his dirty work. ("Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography.")
The Rubins conclude that as long as Arafat is near the reigns of power, there is no hope for the Palestinians to make painful steps to foster peace.
However, that does not mean that all hope is lost. I believe that the Israelis need to make changes to maintain the moral high ground and that the United States must play a stronger role in the region. With millions of dollars of foreign aid to Egypt must come demands both to prevent the smuggling of arms into the Gaza Strip and to improve economic relations with the Palestinians. The same economic demands can be made in exchange for aid to Jordan.
What is needed most, however, is time. Time for Arafat to die and for the struggle for a new Palestinian leadership to begin.
Contact the writer at barry_cohen@jewishaz.com.
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