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UD expert assays Israeli-Palestinian truce
Ralph Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication and distinguished journalist in residence at the University of Delaware, an expert in international affairs/geopolitics, talks about the announcement and related issues. Q. What does the announcement mean to the peace process? Are we finally seeing the end of the road? A. We are nowhere near the end of the road. This is another beginning on another pathway like many that have preceded it that could lead the Israelis and Palestinians to a peace agreement. The safest thing to do in the Middle East is to predict bad news. This is a promising moment, but it’s not the end of the road. Q. What is different between the spirit behind this agreement and previous pledges? Is this the best chance since the failed Camp David summit in 2000? A. It is the best chance since the Camp David summit of 2000. What’s different, what’s notably different, is the absence of Yasser Arafat. The pledge is being made by a new Palestinian leader, whose promises remain to be tested. The Israelis have good reason to hope that new pledges will mean a genuine commitment to peace. Likewise, the Palestinians have reason to hope that their new leader, in his dealing with Israelis, will be able to produce consistent Israeli commitments to stop the violence. Q. Do you think Abbas will be able to contain all the militants in order to sustain the truce and avoid the pitfalls that plagued the process under Arafat? A. It’s very unlikely that he will be able to contain the many factions on the Palestinian side. In fact, that is the most serious threat to the announced cease-fire. Other groups, both among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and elsewhere in the region, have other agendas, not necessarily in line with Abbas’ plans. Q. Israel faces resistance from settlers who refuse to move as required by the road map and expected by the government. How big a problem will this be? A. It’s a serious problem, not just by the settlers, but there are others in Israel who are not in favor of making agreements with the Palestinians. The most dramatic demonstration of the power of those groups was the assassination in 1995 of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by an Israeli conservative who opposed compromises with the Arabs. Q. Is there any connection between the announcement today and the conciliatory tone that has been set by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice since she took office? A. The United States’ role in the process is important. Both Israelis and Palestinians look to the U.S. for not only emotional support but also creativity in reaching agreements and enforcing them. But, Rice is an unknown in the region. She had not devoted much attention to Arab-Israeli peace so far. At this time, it’s mostly developments among Israelis and Palestinians, and not changes in the U.S., which have prompted the current agreement. Q. What impact will the positive developments in the Middle East and what appears to be a U.S. olive branch for Europe have on the Iraqi situation and other issues, such as Iran? A. If developments seemed to be leading toward the direction of peace in the Middle East between Arabs and Israelis, that would likely have a positive impact on the future of Iraq and relations between Israel and other Arab countries, with whom it is still technically at war. However, there are some people the Middle East, both in Israel and among the Arabs, who have devoted their lives to opposing a settlement. These people have demonstrated in the past that, when steps are taken toward peace, they are prepared to accelerate their use of violence to stop progress. Article by Martin Mbugua To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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