Middle East Peace - So Far Yet So Near
(Signs of the Time - January 2002)
At the time of writing, the situation in Israel continues to deteriorate in early December. The month began with a weekend of suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa, followed by a string of thunderous Israeli reprisals. It brought the two peoples of the Holy Land closer to all-out war than at any time since the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967. Yet a mere 18 months ago, the Israelis and the Palestinians were on the verge of an agreement that would have given them everything they required to live side by side in peace: for the Palestinians, an independent homeland; for the Israelis, secure borders and a peace pact with their closest Arab neighbors. This month’s article will look at events that have transpired over the past several months and discuss whether or not the situation in the Middle East can be resolved such that a declaration of peace and safety can be heralded.
A few short months ago
A deal sketched out at Camp David in July, 2001, then filled in at a meeting in Taba,
Egypt, in January, 2001, laid the basis for resolving all of the main issues that have
divided the Palestinians and the Isralis. The plan resolved borders, the status of
Jerusalem and the fate of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Even the
sensitive issue of the "right of return" to Israel for Palestinian
refugees was close to being solved. As reported in the Toronto Globe and Mail, December
8, 2001: "The difference of opinion maybe was 2 per cent, Israeli deputy foreign
minister Michael Melchior said yesterday in Berlin. And all the bloodshed from our side
and from their side in the meantime is just sheer madness."
The madness that the Foreign Minister was referring to began just weeks after Camp David. Ehud Barak, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s predecessor, presented the most far-reaching peace proposals any Israeli government has contemplated. Despite this peace plan, Palestinians rioted in Jerusalem and kicked off what is now known as the second intifada. This second intifada has consisted of numerous suicide bombings, killing scores of people during the last three months of 2001. Israeli forces retaliated by aircraft and helicopter attacks against Palestinian targets in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. At the same time, the Israeli security forces enforced a tight closure of the occupied territories and formed several blockades around West Bank cities. Sharon also declared a "war on terrorism" and said he holds Palestinian Authority leader, Yasser Arafat, responsible for recent and future attacks on Israelis.
Despite the retaliatory attacks and the rhetoric, both sides are still attempting to negotiate a peaceful truce. The December 10, 2001, New York Times reported: "The American envoy, Anthony C. Zinni, a retired Marine general who is trying to arrange a truce, met again with Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs, but there were no signs of a break in the stalemate. General Zinni warned the participants that if no progress was made in the next 48 hours, he would consider returning to Washington, according to leaked accounts of the meeting."
General Zinni opted to stay in the Middle East continuing his effort to negotiate a peaceful resolution. However, the general seems to have an uphill battle on his hands. As reported in the New York Times: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned that more Israeli military action was possible after the latest suicide bombing. ‘We have not finished our operations,’ he told reporters. ‘In light of what is happening, we may have to step up our activities.’ Highlighting the focus on military activity, Mr. Sharon held the weekly meeting of his cabinet today at the army’s headquarters in the West Bank. He met tonight with a smaller group of ministers, known as the security cabinet, to consider further military responses."
A minor truce was then called by the various Palestinian factions as they gathered together in Gaza and signed a statement whereby armed wings of three Palestinian factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah offered a suspension of suicide bombings and shooting attacks in Israel if the Israelis stopped killing Palestinian militants and bombarding Palestinian areas.
Who’s the Enemy?
It might seem the Israelis have a defined task ahead of them: destroy the Palestinian
Liberation Organization and its chairman, Mr. Arafat, and achieve peace in a short period
of time. However, as noted in Stratfor on-line, Mr. Sharon's goals -- destroying
Arafat’s power base -- are ironically similar to those of Hamas and the Islamic
Jihad. The report indicated that: "By keeping the conflict hot, both Israeli and
Palestinian hard-liners are removing any possibility of a negotiated settlement which
Arafat has advocated for a decade. Both sides think they can eventually control all of
Israel, but they first need to remove the Palestinian Authority. Blaming Arafat for
terrorist attacks is more about politics than military reality. Arafat has significant
political and military power, but he does not control the operations of radical Islamic
groups. His security services also do not appear strong enough to effectively suppress
them. The Israeli government has dismissed the arrests of 100 suspected militants by the
Palestinian security officers since the bombings, saying few were high-level
operatives."
The report went on to indicate that: "Israel’s tactics of blockading cities and restricting Palestinian movement actually decrease Arafat’s control over his own loyalists as local Palestinian leaders find themselves cut off from Arafat’s central command. By putting the onus to stop anti-Israeli attacks squarely on Arafat’s shoulders, the Sharon government is trying to marginalise Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. This will clear the way for radical Islamic groups to take the leadership of the Palestinian movement. Such extremists would be more than happy to see the Palestinian Authority dismantled because they see the group as betraying their cause. The PA wants to coexist with the state of Israel. Hamas wants to destroy it."
We watch with great fascination as Israel continues in the forefront of the news. Ultimately we know, "Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land" (Isa. 19:24). Therefore we wait patiently and pray for the soon return of our Lord.
George Rayner