Prescriptions for the Middle East
Morrison, Micah
Micah Morrison PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST An adroit negotiator, a direct message, a sense of history, and realism—now more than ever. rr hree tremors hit the terrain of 1 the Arab-Israeli...
...The region demands someone's full-time attention...
...And yet, even with the prospect of an Orthodox uprising and another War of the Jews, all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict are aware that the ground is shifting...
...careful gestures toward moderate Palestinians...
...These "internal" Palestinians (as opposed to the Palestinians outside the territories) had been demanding political action to advance their year-long uprising...
...An experienced Middle East hand is needed, someone who commands the respect—and fear—of the regional players, someone who is known to have the President's ear...
...American Jewry, already in disarray over Israeli policy in the territories, is now up in arms over theissue of "Who's a Jew," shorthand for an Orthodox push to change Israeli law to recognize only Orthodox conversions to Judaism, not Reform or Conservative conversions...
...But he spoke only two languages, Arabic and English, directing his rhetorical strategy at the U.S...
...Reports from Beltway Bushmen indicate that the new administration will not give the region high priority...
...As for those Jews who actually live in embattled Israel, added now to the looming issue of what to do about the Palestinian uprising is the looming issue of what the Orthodox will do to the life-style of Israelis, the great majority of whom are secular or traditional, not Orthodox...
...In fact, despite gloomy prognostications from the pundits, the election of conservative-minded governments in Washington and Jerusalem creates opportunities for pragmatic advances in Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation...
...envoy...
...the U.S...
...He didn't, in the end, recognize Israel's right to exist, express a willingness to live in peace, or renounce terror...
...In the end it could come to nothing: the Palestinians might line up as a solid block and refuse to have anything to do with the effort...
...rr hree tremors hit the terrain of 1 the Arab-Israeli dispute recently—the PLO conclave in Algiers, the election of a right-wing government in Israel,' and the George Bush victory...
...Yet the message out of Algeria was not entirely positive for the Palestinians "inside": they are keenly aware of the difference between substance and symbolism...
...Micah Morrison is deputy director of the Committee for the Free World and editor of its monthly publication, Contentions...
...The PLO's Algeria "acceptance" of U.N...
...As Middle East expert Fouad Ajami noted at the time of the PLO meeting, Arafat needed to speak three languages: Arabic to the Arab world, English to the Americans, and Hebrew to the Israelis...
...Arafat threw them a bone with the declaration of a Palestinian state...
...Beyond "Who's a Jew," other measures advocated by the religious parties—some of which actually regard Israel as a heretical nation because it was formed before the Messiah arrived, and are only attempting to enter the new government in order to pillage as much loot as possible and foist a theocratic state upon the Jews—are closing down all Friday night (the Jewish sabbath) entertainment, banning non-Kosher restaurants, pouring millions into Orthodox religious seminaries, and reinforcing laws that allow thousands of Orthodox Jews to dodge the Israeli draft...
...18 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JANUARY 1989...
...Jordan has stepped to the sidelines for the moment...
...side, the American Jewish crack-up is likely to grow more pronounced as liberal and left-wing Jews escalate attacks from the comfort of New York, Boston, and Berkeley on the Shamir government's religious and security policies...
...The former President unquestionably would command the attention of all the Middle East parties and he would be working in a policy area—foreign affairs—where even many of his enemies acknowledge his talents...
...the lesson of the Palestinian uprising is that the PLO has not delivered a political stand commensurate with Palestinian desires and sacrifices...
...Arafat has again shown that the PLO is incapable of meaningful action...
...Peace is a long-term proposition, to be worked toward in small steps, not great leaps a la Sadat...
...Unlike the Palestinians "outside," the Palestinians in the territories know full well what can be obtained from Jerusalem and what cannot...
...Messrs...
...In practical terms, the declaration means nothing, and it's interesting to note that it was not greeted with 'As TAS goes to press, Yitzhak Shamir's Likud party continues to maneuver between religious factions and the Labor opposition in putting together a Knesset majority...
...An even bolder choice, albeit one that might send the Democratic Congress into a blood-crazed attack frenzy, would be Richard Nixon...
...Resolution 242, which calls for the right of all states in the region to live in peace within secure borders, and its "rejection" of terrorism were once again hedged with so many qualifications that the "new position" was quickly rejected by the United States—the party at which the statement was aimed—not to mention the Israelis...
...Remember that in many ways this is a conflict of Biblical resonance, not merely another deadly and tragic twentieth-century clash of competing nationalisms...
...The next Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs to come shuttling through the area simply will not be treated as a heavyweight...
...putting together an experienced and intelligent American team...
...The U.S...
...From there, try to push on...
...With a bit of American support, the Palestinians might work themselves around to creating a West Bank and Gazan pragmatic counterweight in PLO politics...
...should not continue the practice of inviting Palestinians to well-publicized meetings at the U.S...
...The importance of the PLO meeting in Algeria rested solely in the fact that it was convened in response to the Palestinian uprising in the territories...
...Yet once the sound and fury of the spin doctors and the punditry faded into the twilight, it became apparent that very little had changed...
...The Israelis tend to look at the Palestinians as the very same Arabs who were slaughtering Jews in THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JANUARY 1989 17 Palestine in the 1930s, not really noticing that the Palestinians of the 1980s have been exposed to all that is good in Israeli democracy, all that is denied them under occupation law, and all that is different under the various dictatorships of the Arab lands...
...Meanwhile, in Israel, Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties gained strength in the election and appear to hold the balance of power in the Knesset...
...Henry Kissinger is perfectly qualified to explore whether peace is possible at this time, although the prospect of his return to White House circles would set off alarm bells all over Washington...
...In the scenario of a West Bank and Gazan counterweight, the PLO would have to pay greater heed to the voice of the territories and bring them more fully into its ranks, which could push the organization in a more moderate direction...
...Sending U.S...
...Reform and Conservative Jews make up 90 percent of American Jewry and "Who's a Jew" threatens to symbolically divorce them from Israel by, in effect, delegitimizing them as Jews...
...Send a direct message to moderate Palestinians...
...The Palestinian uprising compelled Arafat to go to Algeria and make gestures that were largely meaningless but that prodded the PLO slightly in the direction of moderation...
...The key factors are appointing a special U.S...
...consulates in Jerusalem—a strategy akin to standing someone up in front of a target and handing around rifles...
...The Bush Administration-in-waiting is painfully aware that the region is a graveyard of U.S...
...a sulha, a symbolic reconciliation between Arabs and Jews, as a first step...
...Arafat left out the most important language for an Arab serious about making peace, the language of his enemy—he didn't speak Hebrew to the Israelis, he didn't address the people he needs to deal with...
...Indeed, a sound, politically cautious argument can be made for a policy of "benign neglect," but this is not the time for such a policy...
...The Arabs have no true sympathy for, or understanding of, the centrality of the Holocaust in Israeli thinking, and the way this deep-rooted fear of annihilation has been reinforced by four decades of war...
...The point is to name a hard-hitting conservative familiar with the Middle East, diplomatically adept, solidly behind Israel, and capable of exploring options with the Arabs...
...It looks, in short, like another hopeless Middle East stalemate...
...How long will the Palestinians wait for practical, substantive measures...
...There are, of course, huge barriers to overcome, psychological as well as political...
...And where will Arafat's second act come from...
...The message to Jerusalem: nothing has changed...
...and a sense of realism...
...can help build the foundations for that partnership...
...It deepened doubts in Israel about the wisdom of holding on to the territories...
...teams working in the territories should have liaison arrangements with the American embassy and consulates but should be based in Washington, both to reinforce the impression of political clout and to keep them on a tight leash...
...or the PLO wouldhave to revert to its heretofore standard method of murdering independent Palestinians, which could serve to alienate the territories and spur the creation of a new "internal" organization with which Israel could deal...
...Above all, be realistic...
...envoys into the territories will annoy the Israelis, thus impressing the Palestinians...
...initiatives...
...role in the Arab-Israeli dispute: • Reactivate the office of special Mid16 THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JANUARY 1989 dle East envoy...
...Put together a team that understands Arabs and Jews, that is familiar with the achievements of their respective cultures and the lessons of their respective histories—people who can speak their languages, in the broad sense...
...At present the Israelis are convinced, correctly, that there is no reasonable Arab partner to deal with...
...will listen to Palestinian proposals that clearly accept Israel's right to exist and renounce terror...
...President Bush won't have much time—after two, possibly three years, reelection considerations will crowd in and push the candidates away from controversial initiatives involving Israel...
...Israel needs a Palestinian partner it can deal with...
...Here are four guidelines for a creative, sensible U.S...
...The "popular committees" running the uprising have already moved a step in this direction—and Arafat knows it, hence the trip to Algeria...
...The time may or may not be right for a final settlement—the odds are that the time is not right...
...Operate in the political culture of the Middle East, not the West...
...This, too, could come under the mandate of a skilled and influential Middle East negotiator...
...This is not terrible news...
...The U.S...
...The uprising compelled Jordan to cut its legal and administrative ties to the West Bank...
...Matters of blood and honor carry great weight...
...If the Palestinians refuse to put a little distance between themselves and the PLO, at least Washington will be able to claim it has been sincere and imaginative in seeking a solution...
...On the U.S...
...Two or three years is not a lot of time, but it is time enough for a demonstration of Yankee ingenuity,time enough to demonstrate America's unshakable support for Israeli security while embarking on a cautious search for a Palestinian partner...
...The candidates for special envoy are few...
...The U.S...
...ake no mistake, an American initiative to reach out for Palestinian moderates will be dangerous and controversial...
...Baker and Bush will have their hands full with tricky situations in Moscow, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere...
...Should the entire effort come to nothing, Washington will at least have sent a message that it is prepared to mediate for Palestinians who will meet Israel halfway, and that it is possible to do so without betraying Israel...
...An "education offensive" could be part of a new American effort, bringing both sides to a better understanding of each other's dreams and nightmares...
...negotiator should dispatch teams into the territories to meet with non-PLO Palestinians and make the following points clear: the Bush Administration will not under any circumstances compromise Israeli security and rules out any contacts with the PLO unless the PLO explicitly recognizes Israel, repeals or revises Article 15 of the PLO Covenant, which calls for Israel's destruction, and halts all terror activities...
...euphoria in the territories...
...The new U.S...
...Realism means practical goals, an awareness of historical complexity, and the readiness to cut losses and head home after what might turn out to be a fruitless quest for compromise...
...in the mistaken belief that Washington can "deliver" Jerusalem on a vital matter of Israeli national security...
...As a first step, aim not for negotiations direct or international, but aim for what in the culture of the Middle East is known as a sulha, a symbolic reconciliation between warring parties, a ritual agreement to end a blood feud...
Vol. 22 • January 1989 • No. 1
