January 8, 2008
Israel Office
SHATIL
Message From Larry Garber
President Bush leaves today for a week-long trip to the Middle East, including his first to Israel as president. Given Bush's personal and political dispositions, I suspect that Bush would prefer to spend his time visiting the historical sites and celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary. Yet, circumstances require that Bush devote time to the peace initiative he launched several months ago and energize the parties from their post-Annapolis lethargy.
Expectations for positive outcomes emerging from Bush's visit are understandably minimal. Annapolis and the follow-on Paris donors' conference have not provided the anticipated jump-start to serious negotiations or concrete efforts to improve the situation on the ground. Israelis living near the Gaza Strip continue to fear a direct hit by a Qassam rocket, and now possibly a more far-reaching and potentially deadly missile. And, Palestinians wait for Israeli gestures, whether in the release of prisoners held without charge, or in the removal of outposts deemed illegal by the Israeli government, or in the easing of restrictions on the movement of people and goods.
Washington pundits argue that only an engaged US administration can transform the current impasse. Yet, the history of the region is more complex. The most dramatic instances of peacemaking in the region have emerged from indigenous initiatives. These include Sadat's historic 1977 decision to visit Israel and Rabin's willingness to allow negotiations with the PLO to play out in secret. In both cases, the parties carefully assessed their national interests and decided a bold step was required. The international community responded with diplomatic and financial support, but without courageous leaders willing to "give peace a chance" progress would not have been possible.
Bush's meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders may result in only a famous photo-op and a vacuous declaration. With this president, we have seen this script many times already, including those times, now long forgotten, when the Bush seemed on the verge of entering the Israeli-Palestinian fray, which he had committed himself to avoid. My hope is with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders who, I suspect, assess their respective personal and political situations as offering no good alternative but to engage their counterparts on the other side of the metaphorical wall.
The question is whether time will permit their respectful interactions to bear fruit. Clearly, the enemies of rapprochement on both sides will make their voices heard. And sadly, those who would welcome a viable peace that benefits both Palestinians and Israelis are likely to remain quiet, at least until a deal is announced.
In the meantime, the groundwork must continue to be laid in both societies. This requires building structures that promote human rights and respect the dignity of all humanity. This philosophy animates the work of the New Israel Fund and we are convinced that our efforts contribute not only to creating a more just Israel, but to an Israel that advances democracy and is ready to make peace with its neighbors.
In this week’s NIF News, we report on a proposed new law put forward last week by Israel’s Justice Minister to curtail the powers of the country’s Supreme Court. This is only the first stage of a declared plan to weaken Israel’s Supreme Court and thus threaten one of the principle guardians of Israeli democracy and human rights. We also report on an innovative initiative by an NIF grantee, which enables non-married couples in three Israeli cities to receive the same rights as their married counterparts. SHATIL reports on Ma’ariv naming staffer Avi Dabush as one of ten Israelis who most influenced the environment in 2007. They also highlight their newly published booklets on the topics of evaluation and volunteerism as well as SHATIL courses.
|
