ان كلمات أولمرت لا تعني شيئاً دون دعم واشنطن الحقيقي

التحرير

دايلي ستار - 7/6/2007

حتى يتم أخذ ما يقوله أولمرت على محمل الجد فان هناك حاجة لدعم واضح من واشنطن, و على الرئيس بوش و إدارته أن يوضحوا أنهم تعلموا من الدروس السابقة و أنهم مستعدون للتعاطي مع المنطقة على أسس واقعية, لا تعترف بوجود حركات  ومنظمات مثل حماس و حزب الله فحسب بل يجب أن يتم إدراك أهمية  و تأثير مثل هذه الحركات في المنطقة.

Olmert's words won't matter without

 Washington's genuine support

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Editorial

Two positions taken by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday represent a significant shift in the public discourse at the top of the Jewish state's political ladder. Olmert released a statement on Wednesday announcing that Israel wants peace, not war, with Syria and that Israeli officials have communicated this message to Damascus through diplomatic channels. Separately, in a commentary published in Britain 's The Guardian on Wednesday, Olmert expressed interest in achieving peace with the Palestinians on the basis of the Arab initiative, while insisting that "talks must be a discussion, not an ultimatum."

These remarks, if they are to be read as sincere, mark a point of departure in Olmert's two-year-old non-approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is the first time that the Israeli premier is at least giving the appearance of actively and publicly pursuing a peace process.

Olmert's article was titled "1967: Israel cannot make peace alone," but there is plenty of reason to believe that if it is sincere, a newly open-minded policy on the part of his government might be twinned with Arab - and especially Palestinian - enthusiasm. On the same page of The Guardian, no less a hard-liner than Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya laid out conditions that were virtually identical those of the Arab peace initiative, a thoughtful document that calls for no more than is mandated by existing United Nations Security Council resolutions. Haniyya's article was titled "1967: Our rights have to be recognized." If they are, it seems clear that Israel will have the "partner" for peace that it has long claimed to lack.

In order for Olmert's words to be taken seriously, however, they will need to be backed up with public support from Washington . US President George W. Bush and his administration have to make clear that they have learned their lesson and are ready to engage with the region on a realistic basis that acknowledges not just the existence but also the influence of organizations like Haniyya's Hamas and Lebanon's Hizbullah. These parties cannot be wished away, and the widespread legitimacy and support they enjoy makes them, in fact, indispensable elements in any attempt to convince large swathes of the Arab population that any new peace process will be worth the effort.

A poll released this week demonstrates that America 's Arab and Jewish communities are eons ahead of their government on such issues. Respondents from both groups indicated both a clearer understanding of the region's realities and a far greater appreciation of the need for dialogue and compromise. Olmert may indeed be coming around to a similar realization, but that will count for little without the overt and effective agreement of the Bush administration. If that is not forthcoming, Washington will remain out of step with the American people - and an otherwise achievable peace will remain out of reach

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&article_id=82805&categ_id=17

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نشرنا لهذه المقالات لا يعني أنها تعبر عن وجهة نظر المركز كلياً أو جزئياً

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من حق الزائر الكريم أن ينقل وأن ينشر كل ما يعجبه من موقعنا . معزواً إلينا ، أو غير معزو .ـ