It should be now or never. For the nth time, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is once again at the forefront of world affairs as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had worked so extraneously hard to bring important parties to meet at a yet another peace summit in America—-to be held this time in Annapolis, Maryland.
Seven years ago—-during the ending days of the Clinton administration—-both sides of the conflict have tried to resolve the issue in Camp David, but had been so luckless in the end, leading to the collapse of the talk when the issue on East Jerusalem met a piteous dead-end.
But now, the main issue could hugely depart from the usual questions of territory, like the unwillingness of Israel to forego of East Jerusalem (which it had annexed in 1980, despite the harsh reprimand from the United Nation) or the refusal of the Palestinian side to forego of 8% of West Bank as a bumper zone for Israel. The main query now is whether or not Palestine would finally gain its sovereignty and soon becomes a state apart from the Israel ’s sphere of control and influence. And this time, the aim or aims of the peace process might just be reachable and realistic since even Israel had long voiced-out its concurrence to the establishment of a Palestinian state. And since the greater issue becomes too ideal to forego, smaller issues of territories should become easier to settle and compromise upon.
When Secretary Rice had asked U.S. President George W. Bush on this issue some weeks ago, Bush had answered this particular question in the affirmative, signaling support to the creation of a Palestinian state—-seemingly spontaneous and without hesitation. But how much support Bush would have on this latest initiative remains now of great interest to anticipate, one that needs to be responded to this coming Tuesday in Annapolis, when all parties involved in the seemingly never-ending Israeli-Palestinian Conflict would meet once again to find possible solutions to a quarrel that had dragged for so long, almost a century now, running like an endless river without an ocean to arrive at.
In my mind, President Bush should see the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as a huge part and parcel of the whole peace policy and stabilization campaign in the entire Middle-East region, and would hopefully give similar amount of concern over it, just like it has on Iraq or Iran.
Along this line, final resolution to the conflicts there should involved a major infusion of financial assistance to the Palestinian areas, and not merely in trickles as it had been happening over the years, where despite of years of infusion of small caches of aids, Palestine remains torn and disorderly. The lack of economic opportunity and activity over there had brought forth widespread social disarray that has become ripe for radicalism and extremism. Without the sizable economic assistance component, the plan for the establishment of Palestinian statehood would merely be futile and aimless.
Israel should note this very well, and should in fact be cooperative on this aspect, instead of having a countering stance.
It should be well- remembered that Israel had achieved such level of state maturity and strength in such a short period of time because of very sizable money infusion from wealthy Jewish benefactors in America and Europe, and even from the governments of United States and EU. It had achieved such level of economic independence at the soonest time possible, and was able to strengthen and hold it’s population with a very strong bind, unrelenting and sturdy even at the face of repeated crisis that had loomed over it over the decades.
Palestine as a new state, should have the same support and program from its benefactors, and from bigger participants like the EU and America.
Secretary Rice should see this aspect very clearly. While it is very commendable how she seem to have moved heaven and earth in order to bring final resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, traveling frequently towards that region in recent months (this despite and perhaps mostly because the Bush Administration is about to end and the remaining months would be her last window of opportunity), she must bring the economic component of the peace process to the forefront as soon as possible.
This idea is not merely all about the money though; it is not that way. It would be more on the ability of a working economy to stabilize once ravaged situations. The Marshall Plan had done wonders in rebuilding Europe and maintaining up to this time a strong order in that region—-from a state of conflict and warfare to an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.
A similar plan (like the Marshall Plan) could enliven and strengthen a new Palestinian state, and would thereupon spur economic stability and steady peace and order. If this would become the final result, Israel as a state would greatly benefit for not having to hold down a raucous enemy just next door, almost all the time, for an unknown period of time.
The gain of Palestine then would be the gain of Israel.
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