Jordan Times
Thursday, October 4, 2001
Editorial:
Bush's change of heart
US PRESIDENT George W. Bush's emerging vision vis-à-vis Middle East peace-making should be turned into clear policy, today rather than tomorrow, as it constitutes the cornerstone for a just peace and for regional security.It is not the first time that a Republican president has declared support for a Palestinian state, so long as the rights of Israel are respected by all parties.
More importantly, Tuesday's announcement shows that the US has finally come to understand that it has to be actively involved if the troubled 10-year-old peace process is to make any progress.
Bush's declaration of intent was not accidental and did not come as a result of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on Washington and New York that reinforced previous calls from across the globe for a more evenhanded US policy towards the Arab-Israeli issue, one of the world's longest simmering conflicts.
Actually, the attacks stalled US plans to unveil a major Middle East peace initiative, including a detailed plan for a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians that would address all outstanding issues — borders, refugees, settlements and the future of Jerusalem.
Many of the ideas detailed by Bush and his decision to raise his country's profile in peace-making correspond with the discussions His Majesty King Abdullah had with him in Washington last week and with the spirit of a letter he sent the US president on Sept. 8, calling for a new approach and vision towards solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Palestinian cause.
In it, the King underlined Washington's importance in supporting the return to Palestinian-Israeli peace talks in order to establish a Palestinian state as a final peace deal as soon as every reasonable effort had been made to stop violence. And he spoke about the need to resume final status talks while building on past progress. He also stressed the need to implement the road map for peace crafted by an international panel led by former US Senator George Mitchell.
Washington also succeeded in encouraging the two sides to resume talks and to enforce a truce that remained shaky, ahead of a formal resumption of negotiations.
Many in the region hope that the US will now focus on the urgent need to reach a comprehensive regional peace and its requirements: Mutual security, recognised borders, economic cooperation and the free flow of people, money and goods.
For many years now, Jordan has been calling for regional peace based on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 in a clear manner, with an agreed objective and a coherent strategy, instead of the present crisis management approach.
True that by accepting the Mitchell report that calls for freezing all settlements, including natural growth of existing ones, Bush has implicitly accepted that such activity has to stop. But maybe Washington could firmly call for ending all settlement activity and declare that they are illegal and remain a major obstacle to the implementation of Resolution 242.
At the end of the day, it is hoped that Bush's strategy will include proposals on how far America would help the goal of Palestinian statehood and other possible trade-offs to help end the violence.
Israel's peace talks with Syria and Lebanon should also resume, from where they stopped, while Israel has to be assured that its legitimate security needs are met if peace is to be durable and comprehensive.
President Bush has a golden opportunity in the aftermath of the terror strikes to unveil a balanced peace strategy.
He should strike while the iron is hot.