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As war with Iraq continues, President Bush has renewed his commitment to the so-called Roadmapф for Middle East Peace.  Following are observations on where we are and where weтre going.

On June 24, President Bush laid out several principles key to making progress towards peace between Israel and the Palestinians.  These principles include:  a new Palestinian leadership not tainted by corruption or support of terrorism; an end to Palestinian terror and violence; accountability and transparency in Palestinian governance; and an overhaul of the Palestinian security apparatus.  These principles have informed the Administrationтs approach to the Quartetтs Roadmap for peace in the Middle East.

President Bushтs call for a change in Palestinian leadership, which came after overwhelming evidence was found that Palestinian Authority President Yassir Arafat was supporting and inciting terror against Israeli civilians emerged, has been echoed by the European Union and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.  Perhaps as a result of the Presidentтs stated expectation ц and the international support for it ц Arafat has appointed Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, as the new Palestinian Prime Minister.

What remains to be seen is whether the appointment represents the true shift in power necessary to move the June 24th initiative forward.  Prime Minister Sharon welcomed the appointment of Abu Mazen, who has made encouraging efforts toward peace between Israel and the Palestinian people in the past, calling it уa positive move in the right direction.ф

Abu Mazenтs appointment must represent a true change in leadership for the Palestinians if there is to be progress towards peace.  Abu Mazen and officials in his cabinet must, through their actions, win the trust of the Israeli people, who have become extremely disillusioned since Arafatтs rejection of Israelтs offer to support the creation of a Palestinian state in exchange for peace and security at Camp David and Taba in 2000.  It was Arafatтs refusal to even offer a counter-proposal and his subsequent unleashing of a well-organized terrorist campaign against Israeli civilians that caused many Israelis to lose hope in ever finding an interlocutor to achieve peace.

If Abu Mazen is empowered to take decisive steps to stop Palestinian terror and to prepare the Palestinian people for a settlement that will result in an independent Palestinian state existing alongside a secure Jewish state (without insisting on the Palestinian refugeesт right of return), he can begin to win back the trust of the Israeli people and their democratically-elected leadership.  On that basis, it should be possible to proceed towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

It is easy to be skeptical about this scenario.  But the current state of affairs can be informed by the development of the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty, signed 24 years ago by Israel and Egypt.  The peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt were ignited largely by the late Egyptian Prime Minister Anwar Sadatтs offer to visit Israel and address the Knesset.  Sadatтs visit convinced Israelтs then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin (who, like Israelтs current Prime Minister, was head of the Likud Party) and, most importantly, the Israeli people, that Egypt was seriously committed to forging peace with Israel.  Sadatтs demonstration of his sincere desire for peace made an agreement possible.

Abu Mazenтs job will not be easy.  Recent polls conducted by Palestinian researchers indicate that 70% of Palestinians support suicide bombing.  Even more disturbing are comments made by Abil Ramlawi, the PLOтs representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stated at the Commission on Human Rights that уIsrael was created by a crime against humanity that continues todayеAll the world risks the worst dangers because of Israel.  Israel was created on the basis of Zionist and Nazi ideology.ф

A new Palestinian leadership must be prepared to accept Israelтs legitimacy as a Jewish state and to put an end to the official endorsement of venomous hatred toward Israel.  Only then will the Roadmap become a useful tool in the hands of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.

Vol. 3, No. 16

April 2, 2003 х 29 Adar I1 5763   http://www.jewishpublicaffairs.org/

Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman

Dear Friends,

Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with

-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).

Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.

The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.

“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.

One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.

There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.

The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.

You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].

Sincerely,

Haim Goldman
28.10.2006

REFERENCES:

[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a