The Laughable Saudi Peace Plan
by Max Boot, Contentions blog, Commentary Magazine, Jan. 24., 2009
Max Boot
The prince darkly warns Obama to adopt the Saudi peace plan for Israel…or else. The plan, in case you’ve forgotten, calls on Israel to withdraw completely from the lands occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, returning to the lines of June 4 1967; to accept a mutually agreed just solution to the refugee problem according to the General Assembly resolution 194; and to recognize the independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. In return, there would be an end to hostilities between Israel and all the Arab countries, and Israel would get full diplomatic and normal relations.
That this is not actually a solution to the Israeli-Arab dispute should be obvious to anyone with even a modicum of understanding of the region. If Israel were actually to withdraw from the West Bank, the almost certain result would be a toppling of a corrupt and deeply unpopular Fatah administration and its replacement with a popular and fanatical Hamas administration which would never accept Israel’s right to exist. Nominal recognition from a few more states such as Saudi Arabia would do nothing to solve Israel’s dire security problems emanating not only from Hamas and Hezbollah, but also from their sponsors in Syria and Iran. Further Israeli territorial concessions would have the same effect as its previous withdrawals from Gaza and southern Lebanon, further emboldening its enemies to step up their attacks. Anyone who thinks that the ineffectual Saudis — any more than the ineffectual Egyptians who have already recognized Israel — would somehow protect Israel from the terrorists has been smoking a few hookahs too many. (Continue Reading this Article)
There is no chance Israel will accept the Saudi Plan. It has much chance of succeeding as Tom Friedman’s Rubik’s Cube scenario for the Middle East - which is to say NONE!
Comment by NormanF — January 26, 2009 @ 1:22 am
I am all for negotiations with the Arabs. We should sit down with them , tell the NO, Then go home.
Comment by yamit82 — January 26, 2009 @ 5:54 am
I’d like to remind everybody that the original bedrock of the peace process was Res 242 which was silent on Jerusalem and settlement activity and entitled Israel to secure and recognized boundaries. Originally the US understood it to mean nothing close to the ‘67 borders. The Arabs profered a different interpretation requiring Israel to withdraw to the pre ‘67 borders. Within a couple of years the US accepted this interpretation. Thus the US ignored the intention of the framers of the Resolution. This is illegal.
When the Roadmap was drafted, at the last moment, Powell inserted a recital referring to the Saudi Plan. Sharon objected and Powell told him to get lost. Afterall he said the Roadmap is only a “process”.
Six years later who even mentions secure borders. The Saudi Plan is the expectation and nothing else has currency. It is understood Israel must return virtually all of the land and give land for any land it keeps.
By the way, “secure” always meant “defensible”.
Comment by Ted Belman — January 26, 2009 @ 9:13 am
Ted, time has a way of eroding even original understandings. The needs of politicians change. The truth never does. Yamit, I love you but don’t hold your breath waiting for an Israeli government to say NO to the Arabs and go home. That is as likely to happen as it is likely to rain in the Sahara Desert.
Comment by NormanF — January 26, 2009 @ 9:19 am
If al-faisal is so concerned with the “refugees” he ought to take them into saudi arabia. That would be a real solution.
Comment by Laura — January 26, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Norm, what was that Herzl was quoted as saying “If You Will It, It Is No Dream”
Comment by yamit82 — January 27, 2009 @ 7:23 am
There is nothing laughable about the Saudi Plan for so long as it has currency in the minds of the Quartet. There is however every reason to be very concerned that the Saudi Plan has gained legitimacy and Israel has done little if anything to prevent it. In fact, Olmert and his Kadima party have contributed to the crediblity of the Saudi Plan.
It is not only deplorable, but completely inexplicable that Olmert, a few years ago gave any credence at all to the Saudi plan or that Shimon Peres more recently did so.
Whatever diplomatic or other advantage Olmert or Peres thought they were gaining for Israel by giving credence to the Saudi Plan, was terribly myopic for in the end that credence given the plan has come around to bite Israel in the nether parts.
The Saudi Plan, presented as a non-negotiable package is a plan to advantage and strengthen the Arab nations and the Palestinians at the expense, disadvantage and consequential weakening of Israel.
The overarching Jew hating goals for Israel’s destruction have not been abandoned by the Middle East including the Palestinians, be they Gazan Palestinians led by Hamas or Palestinians in Judea and Samaria led by the lying, dishonest, Jew hater and terrorist supporter in a suit, M. Abbas and his PA and Fatah parties.
The surging rampant, viscious and daily Jew hatred being disseminated and incited in every corner of the Middle East testifies to the fact that the Muslim Middle East have not in any way abandoned their dream and goals for Israel’s ultimate destruction, one way or another.
The West can afford to delude itself into believing otherwise, because the cost of being wrong is Israel’s destruction which might cause them to shed a tear, if that, but their world will go on.
Israel cannot however afford to so delude itself and yet it does by speaking of Abbas, the PA and Fatah as moderates and wishing to make a deal with Abbas and his governing party, which if history is any indication, any deal made will be one where Israel gives tangible concessions up for lies and empty promises.
In this case the authority of Abbas, the PA and Fatah to make any deal on behalf of all Palestinians does not even exist. So what are the Americans pushing Israel into and why are both Livni and Netanyahu saying that the 2 state solution is the only solution and it is urgent that negotiations be pursued and a deal made.
This is so surreal or is the right word, Kafkaesque?
Comment by Bill Narvey — January 27, 2009 @ 1:36 pm