COMMUNITIES AGAINST CAPITALISM

America Can Persuade Israel to Make a Just Peace
By JIMMY CARTER


New York Times


April 21, 2002

ATLANTA - In January 1996, with full support from Israel and

responding to the invitation of the Palestinian Liberation

Organization, the Carter Center helped to monitor a democratic

election in the West Bank and Gaza, which was well organized, open

and fair. In that election, 88 members were elected to the

Palestinian National Authority, with Yasir Arafat as president.

Legally and practically, the Palestinian people were encouraged to

form their own government, with the expectation that they would soon

have full sovereignty as a state.

When the election was over, I made a strong effort to persuade the

leaders of Hamas to accept the election results, with Mr. Arafat as

their leader. I relayed a message offering them full participation in

the process of developing a permanent constitutional framework for

the new political entity, but they refused to accept this proposal.

Despite this rejection, it was a time of peace and hope, and there

was no threat of violence or even peaceful demonstrations. The legal

status of the Palestinian people has not changed since then, but

their plight has grown desperate.

Ariel Sharon is a strong and forceful man and has never equivocated

in his public declarations nor deviated from his ultimate purpose.

His rejection of all peace agreements that included Israeli

withdrawal from Arab lands, his invasion of Lebanon, his provocative

visit to the Temple Mount, the destruction of villages and homes, the

arrests of thousands of Palestinians and his open defiance of

President George W. Bush's demand that he comply with international

law have all been orchestrated to accomplish his ultimate goals: to

establish Israeli settlements as widely as possible throughout

occupied territories and to deny Palestinians a cohesive political

existence.

There is adequate blame on the other side. Even when he was free and

enjoying the full trappings of political power, Yasir Arafat never

exerted control over Hamas and other radical Palestinians who reject

the concept of a peaceful Israeli existence and adopt any means to

accomplish their goal. Mr. Arafat's all-too-rare denunciations of

violence have been spasmodic, often expressed only in English and

likely insincere. He may well see the suicide attacks as one of the

few ways to retaliate against his tormentors, to dramatize the

suffering of his people, or as a means for him, vicariously, to be a

martyr.

Tragically, the policies of Mr. Sharon have greatly strengthened

these criminal elements, enhanced their popular support, and

encouraged misguided young men and women to sacrifice their own lives

in attacking innocent Israeli citizens. The abhorrent suicide

bombings are also counterproductive in that they discredit the

Palestinian cause, help perpetuate the military occupation and

destruction of villages, and obstruct efforts toward peace and

justice.

The situation is not hopeless. There is an ultimate avenue to peace

in the implementation of United Nations resolutions, including

Resolution 242, expressed most recently in the highly publicized

proposal of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah. The basic premises

of these resolutions are withdrawal of Israelis from Palestinian

lands in exchange for full acceptance of Israel and Israel's right to

live in peace. This is a reasonable solution for many Israelis,

having been accepted in 1978 by Prime Minister Menachem Begin and

ratified by the Israeli Knesset. Egypt, offering the greatest threat

to Israel, responded by establishing full diplomatic relations and

honoring Israeli rights, including unimpeded use of the Suez canal.

This set a pattern for what can and must be done by all other Arab

nations. Through constructive negotiations, both sides can consider

some modifications of the 1967 boundary lines.

East Jerusalem can be jointly administered with unimpeded access to

holy places, and the right of return can be addressed by permitting a

limited number of displaced Palestinians to return to their homeland

with fair compensation to others. It will be a good investment for

the international community to pay this cost.

With the ready and potentially unanimous backing of the international

community, the United States government can bring about such a

solution to the existing imbroglio. Demands on both sides should be

so patently fair and balanced that at least a majority of citizens in

the affected area will respond with approval, and an international

force can monitor compliance with agreed peace terms, as was approved

for the Sinai region in 1979 following Israel's withdrawal from

Egyptian territory.

There are two existing factors that offer success to United States

persuasion. One is the legal requirement that American weapons are to

be used by Israel only for defensive purposes, a premise certainly

being violated in the recent destruction of Jenin and other villages.

Richard Nixon imposed this requirement to stop Ariel Sharon and

Israel's military advance into Egypt in the 1973 war, and I used the

same demand to deter Israeli attacks on Lebanon in 1979. (A full

invasion was launched by Ariel Sharon after I left office). The other

persuasive factor is approximately $10 million daily in American aid

to Israel. President George Bush Sr. threatened this assistance in

1992 to prevent the building of Israeli settlements between Jerusalem

and Bethlehem.

I understand the extreme political sensitivity in America of using

persuasion on the Israelis, but it is important to remember that none

of the actions toward peace would involve an encroachment on the

sovereign territory of Israel. They all involve lands of the

Egyptians, Lebanese and Palestinians, as recognized by international

law.

The existing situation is tragic and likely to get worse. Normal

diplomatic efforts have failed. It is time for the United States, as

the sole recognized intermediary, to consider more forceful action

for peace. The rest of the world will welcome this leadership.

Jimmy Carter, the former president, is chairman of the Carter Center,

which works worldwide to advance peace and human health.