Peres and Obama
Peres and ObamaIsrael News Photo: GPO

President Shimon Peres has written an op-ed in the Times of London, saying “it seems the time is ripe to end the Israeli-Arab conflict once and for all.”

As U.S. President Barack Obama begins what is touted as his “historic” visit to Islamic countries Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Israel's Peres takes the unusual step of calling for peace in the Middle East from the pages of a major international newspaper.

Peres writes that Obama’s journey “could be an opportunity,” and that it requires Israel’s enemies to negotiate, and normalize relations, with Israel.  There must be “bilateral negotiations between Israel and each of its neighbours - the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon,” Peres writes, “and in tandem with this, a regional process of normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arab states.”

Peres notes the Saudi initiative, which he calls “significant,” and praises Jordan’s “57-state solution” as having “much wisdom.”  Both plans, issued by the countries’ respective kings, call for the formation of a Palestinian Authority state in Judea and Samaria.

The more detailed Saudi initiative, adopted by the Arab League, has three main points: Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories “occupied” since 1967; a “just solution” to the “Palestinian Refugee” problem; and the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

“The kings are right,” Peres writes, “in seeing both the proper destination and the surest path for its realisation. With the support of the leadership in Egypt, it seems the time is ripe to end the Israeli-Arab conflict once and for all.”

Israel Need Not Accept Every Word
Peres reserves Israel’s right not to accept every detail of the Saudi plan – but just barely: “Israel did not take part in the wording of the Arab peace initiative and, therefore, should not be expected to accept its every word. But Israel will refrain from imposing its own wording on other parties and is ready to negotiate common ground.”

Dramatic Gestures Required
President Peres says that dramatic peace gestures can be more valuable than “well-formulated peace plans.”  He cites examples from Egypt’s Sadat and Jordan’s Hussein:

“What brought about the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, signed in 1979, was a journey of less than an hour - the time it took Anwar Sadat to fly from Cairo to Jerusalem. This hour changed the course of history in the Middle East. Not because it exerted pressure, but because it diminished old fears. It captured people's imaginations and created a turning point far more powerful than outside pressure. Israel and Egypt were surprised by the tremendous effect of this journey. It put an end to the history of suspicion.

“King Abdullah of Jordan's father did something similar in 1997 after seven Israeli girls were murdered by a Jordanian soldier. Their families lived in Beit Shemesh, a town close to Jerusalem. King Hussein, disregarding protocol, surprisingly drove to Beit Shemesh, where he visited each and every one of the bereaved families. He sought genuine forgiveness. The impact of this unexpected gesture on the Israeli public was spectacular. To this very day, this visit is regarded as a turning point in the relations between our two countries.”

Time to Sail the Strong Wind
In typical fashion, Peres concludes with an imaginative metaphor: “It is time to sail the strong wind, which today is blowing in the right direction. There is no greater strength than the power of an idea that has come to fruition. That is the case for peace today. The passengers are ready. The ship is waiting. It is time for the navigators to decisively take the helm.”