Peace, I’ve learned, is often subjective. When in the
context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, peace traditionally
becomes merely an oft-repeated idea, too often insincere, cloaked
with shaky agreements and soon forgotten.
However, the international mood has shifted. Recently, Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the newly elected Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas met in Egypt to agree upon a joint
cease-fire. The “situation,” as Israelis and
Palestinians call it, may no longer be the same anarchic
hopelessness encountered for years.
It’s encouraging news. But still, my cynicism stays
intact, remembering the failures of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s,
compounded by 50 years of unresolved bloodshed.
But like most people, I still long for and dream of a peaceful,
democratic future for this troubled region. As Yitzhak Rabin,
Israel’s then-prime minister, declared in 1993, “Enough
of blood and tears. Enough.”
In September 2000, when the al-Aqsa launched the second
Palestinian intifada, the peace process was in shambles. Sharon
refused to meet with Arafat, accusing him of double-faced
treachery, and there was little hope for negotiations.
But in November 2004, Arafat passed away. And Mahmoud Abbas,
former Palestine Liberation Organization chairman and Fatah party
member, was elected as president of the Palestinian National
Authority.
Since that day, major changes have occurred. Sharon will
continue his plans to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank,
betraying the settlers once regarded as his faithful allies. He
recently released 500 of the 900 Palestinian prisoners he’s
promised, and above all, he has recognized the need for Palestinian
statehood.
Meanwhile, Abbas agreed to the terms of the cease-fire.
He’s voiced his plans to work toward a democratic Palestinian
state, without threats and violence. Additionally, President Bush
has asked Congress for $200 million in emergency aid to
Palestinians for this fiscal year. It’s a small amount
compared to the money allocated for Israel, but a request like this
wouldn’t have been feasible until today, when a new
Palestinian leadership has taken hold.
There’s a sense of optimism throughout the world. Many of
us would like to say that the al-Aqsa intifada is finally over. But
history has a way of repeating itself, and if it’s taught us
anything, it’s that any sort of “end” in Middle
Eastern politics might not prove so conclusive.
Such was the case in the 1990s when a chillingly similar
situation unfolded. In 1993, Former Prime Minister Rabin met with
Arafat, and the two jointly agreed upon a Declaration of
Principles, known today as the Oslo Accords.
These accords seemed to benefit both sides. The Palestinians
were granted the Palestinian Authority, as well as the right to
Palestinian self-governance. In return, Arafat recognized
Israel’s right to exist and promised vigilance in the fight
against terror.
But the Oslo Accords were, nevertheless, a failure. They
neglected to address permanent issues, including the settlements,
borders, Jerusalem, security and refugees. Instead, the Accords
prioritized the reaching of an agreement over the actual content of
the agreement itself. So for seven years, negotiations endlessly
continued. By 1995, following the tragic assassination of Yitzhak
Rabin, the process began to unravel. Then, in late 2000, after the
collapse of talks between then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat
at Camp David, both Israeli and Palestinian extremists discredited
the process entirely. A few months later, the intifada began.
Today, both sides hold the same goals originally sought in 1993.
Palestinians want the end to Israeli occupation and settlement in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the establishment of a
Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Israelis want a
cease-fire, secure and defensible borders, an undivided Jerusalem,
as well as the preservation and support of Israeli statehood by the
international community. In that sense, not much has changed
between the two powers.
But the world ““ and its leaders ““ have shifted. For
one, there’s Abbas. The new Palestinian leader is willing to
work side-by-side with Israel and the United States. Best of all,
however, Sharon is a new man. Originally perceived as the Likud
party’s hard-liner, he’s warmed up to compromise.
Surprisingly, Sharon managed to reform the Knesset,
Israel’s cabinet, making space for Labour Party members
““ the more liberal majority of Israeli politics. With the
support of the Labour party, Sharon was able to dispense 8,500
eviction notices to settlers in the Gaza strip and four West Bank
settlements.
Clearly, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will
disappear, and both need to acknowledge the other as human
equals.
The challenge is how they will go about doing this. It
won’t be simple, particularly in regard to curbing
extremists. And it won’t be speedy, as we’ve learned
from the failures of the Oslo Accords. There will be moments of
intense frustration, as patterns persist and leaders continue to
break promises.
Maybe I’m daydreaming, or perchance I’m moonstruck,
but the path toward peace is ultimately inescapable. If this does
not happen, the region will face its greatest horror yet.
Fried is a second-year history student. E-mail her at
ifried@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.