Hubris vs. Arrogance
With the Netanyahu government installed, the State Department has made its first pronouncement. "We're going to pursue that two-state solution, because we believe it's in the best interests of all the parties in the region," said spokesman Robert Wood. Note to Mr. Wood: Please take account of what the parties in the region say is in their best interest; they're closer to the problem than you. It further appears that the administration is inclined toward the January letter of 10 former public officials - most of them notably unfavorably disposed toward Israel. Akiva Eldar of Ha'aretz neatly summarized the key points of the letter:
[They] recommended to the president that he replace "the conditions of the Quartet" with a readiness to recognize a Palestinian unity government, on condition that that government would agree to a cease-fire with Israel, authorize Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to conduct negotiations on a final-status solution, and bring the agreement to a referendum.
An Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, with the exception of large settlement blocs; Jerusalem being the capital of both Israel and Palestine, and divided on a demographic basis; adoption of a special regime in the Old City; the rehabilitation of refugees within the Palestinian state, with Israel accepting a degree of responsibility for the problem; and the stationing of a multinational force in the territories during an interim period.
The authors are Paul Volcker, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, Chuck Hagel, Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Lee Hamilton, James Wolfensohn, Thomas Pickering, Carla Hills and Theodore Sorensen. Eldar had to identify each out-of-power former somebody to provide context for this generation of readers - Sorenson's last public position was held 45 years ago (but he did publicly endorse President Obama).
By fiat, the wise men say, the President will produce Palestinian unity by forcing Hamas to cede power to Abu Mazen; then empower Abu Mazen to cede parts of historic "Palestine" to Israel (beginning with, but not limited to, the land on which the "large settlement blocs" sit) and empower him to waive the "right of return" - neither of which even Arafat the Master was empowered to do; restore Jerusalem to its 1948 status of corpus separatum and have it "divided on a demographic basis." Restoration of the Mandelbaum Gate would be a nice, historical touch.
The authors and the State Department appear to believe the United States can - and should - orchestrate the Palestinians, Israelis and life into a package of their liking. For people who were almost unanimous in the belief that the Bush administration was arrogant in its treatment of foreign countries and people, this is hubris writ large.
But the greatest arrogance is their belief that "2009 constitutes the last opportunity for a partition solution." We strongly suggest they read Dennis Ross at the end of the Clinton Administration and Condoleezza Rice at the end of the Bush Administration. A real, viable solution will arise only after the Arab states meet their obligation under UN Resolution 242 to terminate their states of war with and accept the legitimacy of the State of Israel. After that, the Palestinians won't be far behind.
Until then, Israel should be reassured that its need to defend itself from those who seek - or pay for - its destruction will be understood in Washington.
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