July 17, 2007

In this week’s NIF News we focus on the issue of the unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev. In recent weeks, evictions and government demolitions of Bedouin homes have increased and have, for the first time, included confiscation of property. NIF News reports on current protests against housing demolitions, the implications of the government decision for the creation of a Bedouin Settlement Authority and the story of one family whose home was recently destroyed. SHATIL reports on the opening of its new office in Northern Israel to serve the diverse needs of post-war Northern Israelis, and a recent conference in which Israeli Jews and Arabs came together to discuss the “Palestinian Vision” paper.

Israel Office

• Negotiation Not Demolition
• Israeli Government Sets Up New Bedouin Settlement Authority
• A High-Tech Builder Living in Tents and Tree-Houses
• Facts and Figures About the Unrecognized Villages

SHATIL

• Facts and Figures About the Unrecognized Villages
• Arab “Vision Paper” Focus of Fifth Annual Workplace Dialogue Conference

Message From Larry Garber

 Sitting in the splendid cafes of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I can appreciate how simple it is to ignore the challenges and dangers facing the state of Israel. Last year’s war in Lebanon is in the distant past and Israel’s internal problems are easily forgotten.

The reality is quite different – the intelligence buzz is of imminent war in the North and, as described in this week’s lead story on the Bedouin protest camp, the consequences of government actions in the periphery, eventually make their way to the capital. While NIF is convinced that Israel must address the internal issues regardless of what is happening externally, we are certainly mindful that threats posed by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah or by recent events in Gaza have a profound impact on the nation’s willingness to confront the social justice issues that form the core of our mandate.

Yesterday, President Bush delivered his long-awaited address on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I was immediately reminded of a similar speech five years ago, when the President first outlined his vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace. I was serving as the Director of USAID’s West Bank and Gaza program at the time and, while not happy with all aspects of the speech, I appreciated that Bush was committing the US to a much-welcomed, more engaged role in the region.

And indeed, the speech generated an immediate surge of activities. Within weeks, the international community organized a Task Force on Palestinian Reform, arranged a series of meetings that established and monitored benchmarks for Palestinian reforms and, within months, presented the now much-maligned Road Map for achieving the President’s vision. Looking back, I am convinced that the Palestinians accomplished a good deal on the reform front, but at the end of the day the recurring violence precluded moving forward in the manner outlined in the Road Map.

Yesterday’s speech was déjà vu. Once again, the international community will convene a series of meetings. Again, attention will focus on creating democratic institutions for an independent Palestinian state. More aid will be offered. A reasonable question is whether we should expect a better outcome this time around.

The major change is in the Palestinian leadership. Salam Fayyad is a different breed of leader than his predecessors in the post of Palestinian Prime Minister. A trained economist, who worked for many years with the International Monetary Fund, he is determined to tackle the “security” issue. He understands that this requires bringing the various security forces under the Palestinian Authority’s control, ensuring law and order within the Palestinian Territories and preventing attacks against Israel. While recognizing the daunting challenges he faces, particularly with respect to the well-organized Hamas militia, Fayyad has already achieved a significant success in disarming most of the Al Aksa brigade, working in coordination with Israeli security forces.

President Bush, who has a personal affection for Fayyad, must avoid smothering the Palestinian Prime Minister in a traditional superpower bear hug. Similarly, my friends who have toiled for years on peace process issues should defer to Fayyad’s political acumen, rather than insist on an immediate reconciliation with Hamas and the formation of a new national unity government. Fayyad should be allowed to address immediate concerns of the Palestinian population, while a political dialogue over the broader peace process issues is initiated between Palestinians and Israelis.

Too often, Palestinian leaders have been weak and ineffectual, and external actors have sought to fill the gap. This time around, Palestinians have a strong and creative leader. We should provide Fayyad with the breathing space necessary to work his way through the Palestinian political labyrinth.