Posted on Sun, Mar. 30, 2003
The road to Baghdad is turning out to be a road to the "road map," as well. Tony Blair insists that both roads be driven at the same time.
The "road map" is a plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, forged by the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. Its goal is to establish a fully independent Palestinian state alongside Israel by 2005. Pin another medal for leadership on the breast of the British prime minister.
Blair says he's determined to resolve this horrid conflict. He wants the Arab world to know that the coalition fighting Saddam also cares about the plight of the Palestinians. The crisis inflames populations all over Islam and within Blair's own Labor Party. Blair wants the road-map process to go forward now, not after the shooting stops. To get going, President Bush must put an end to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stalling tactics.
Hard-liners in Israel don't like the sound of it. They know that Bush owes Blair big-time for joining the battle against Saddam. Diplomacy has never been Bush's thing. But even he must understand that the poisons of Arab anger need draining.
It's true that many of these grievances result from the Arabs' own failings. They've subjected Israel to over half a century of military and terrorist attacks. They've spurned good peace offers. They've run crude anti-Semitic campaigns to divert public attention from the mess at home.
Problem is, these grievances are in Arab heads. And some are based on reality - namely, the Israeli settlements and occupation of Palestinian lands. The loony demonization of Israel must be dealt with, but so must the genuine causes of angst.
In his famous Rose Garden speech last June, Bush called on Palestinians to replace Yasir Arafat as their leader and reform their government. He also called on Israelis to stop building more settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, and to start thinking about evacuating territory occupied since the recent "intifada" began in September 2000.
The Palestinians have taken some of these steps. They have a new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas (commonly known as Abu Mazen). Although appointed by Arafat, Abbas has amassed political power of his own. He has publicly criticized terrorism against Israelis. Whether Arafat sabotages Abbas in the end remains to be seen. But the Israelis have done little on their end.
Make no mistake: The Jewish state is under constant terrorist attack and comes by its fears honestly. But if Israelis want the "road map" to acknowledge their security needs better, they have to make their own good moves. For them, the first square on the game board reads: "Stop. No more settlements."
The settlements serve no function other than to indulge a few Jewish fanatics. They drain the economy, and Israeli soldiers die defending them. Polls show that a large majority of Israelis would trade most of the occupied land for a real peace with the Palestinians.
Whether the Sharon government likes it or not, the map is being unfurled. A few alterations may be in order, but Israelis would do well to embrace the concept. Blair and Bush, working all sides, and the extraordinary upheaval now occurring in the Mideast could bring new hope where little exists - that the grinding Israeli-Palestinian conflict might start on the road to history.