Yoram Getzler, Moshav Aminadav
Once more we in Israel are starting to get excited over US involvement in trying to settle the Israeli/Arab conflict, this time with Saudi Arabia playing a featured role.
As in the past, many people of good will are calling enthusiastically for Israel to be forthcoming, to encourage the Palestinians in particular and the Arab world in general to make peace. Once again American presidential involvement is thought to be a positive critical element. Last time President Bill Clinton, this time President G.W. Bush, is being proclaimed the great hope for peace.Unlike in the past, and quite importantly, several Arab countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf States appear to be positively involved today. They belong to the Sunni Muslim block, which is in growing conflict with the Shia’a Muslims of Iran and Shia’a supporters in Syria, Lebanon (Hizbullah) Gaza (Hamas) and the Sunni states themselves.
Yet, once this summit of confrontation with Shai’a’ism is over, these current friends could return to their former antagonism and aggression towards Israel. I worry that this newfound coincidence of common interest will not outlive the eventual (and also temporary) calming of the current clash between Shia’a and Sunni.
In addition, we are in a new era today, with a Palestinian leader, Mohamed Abbas, who even if he wanted could not control the armed Palestinians. The current Israeli leader, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is similarly too weak to lead Israel into a path of concessions most of which would physically endanger its citizens.
Olmert is now being challenged on the Right by a known quality, Bibi Netanyahu, who is in turn being challenged by the farther right by the less known, Moshe Feglin, whose leadership abilities are untested.
An essential question also remains unasked: “Does the Arab/Muslim world accept as legitimate the historical claim of the Jewish people to any of the land between the River and the Sea?” Merely saying, “Yes, we recognize that you exist,” is insufficient and meaningless because it does not speak to the legitimacy of Israel’s claim to our national homeland.
Past history here has proven that a failed Peace Process is far worse than no process at all! For the present, it seems that rhetoric and enthusiasm should both be held at bay as we traverse yet another ambiguous moment in our complicated history and as we pray for peace.
