President Bush Pushes Peace

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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The White House is putting toward a great and impressive amount of effort in this latest try at achieving peace in Middle East. They do, after all, have nothing to lose and should be commended.

…
Bush calls for ‘moral vision’ in Middle East

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (CNN) – Calling for “courage and moral vision on every side from every leader,” President Bush on Tuesday said he was “committed to helping all the parties” in the Middle East “reach the hard and heroic decisions that will lead to peace.”

His statement followed a meeting with Arab leaders in Egypt ahead of Wednesday’s summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, designed to promote comprehensive peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

During Tuesday’s summit, Bush said Israel “must deal with the settlements” and the Palestinians must not allow “a few terrorists” to thwart Middle East peace.

The summit, to build support for the so-called road map backing Israeli-Palestinian co-existence, precedes a historic meeting set for Wednesday in Aqaba, Jordan, – where Bush is scheduled to sit down with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

“When I say something I mean it,” Bush said at the start of the summit. “The world needs to have a Palestinian state that is free and at peace, and therefore my government will work with all parties concerned to achieve that vision. I believe now is the time to work to achieve the vision.”

Tuesday’s meeting also included Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Hamad bin Issa of Bahrain and Abbas, popularly known as Abu Mazen.

Bush told the Arab leaders he plans to work with all parties concerned to achieve the vision of a Palestinian state and urged the Palestinians and the other Arab leaders not to let “a few terrorists” and “a few killers” thwart the “dreams and hopes of the many.”

Bush also said “Israel’s got responsibilities.”

“Israel must deal with the settlements,” Bush said. “Israel must make sure there is a continuous territory the Palestinians can call home.”

Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories are a key element in the road map to peace.

The U.S.-backed road map – which also is supported by Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – calls for Israeli and Palestinian concessions that would lead to a proposed independent Palestinian state by 2005.

Bush made his post-summit comments during a joint outdoor statement at the shore of the Red Sea with the summit host, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who also spoke.

“We call on Israel to simultaneously fulfill its own responsibilities, to rebuild trust and to restore normal Palestinian life,” Mubarak said. “And to carry out its obligations to the road map, thus promoting progress toward the president’s vision.”

Israeli officials have asked the Bush administration to use the Egypt summit to convey also the importance of Arab leaders publicly accepting the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.

Israel hopes the United States will encourage Egypt and Jordan to send their ambassadors back to Israel. The two Arab countries pulled their envoys after the latest Palestinian- Israeli conflict began in September 2000.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha’ath said Monday: “We need, first of all, to see President Bush continue what looks like a real involvement. … We would like him to continue that role as supporter of this peace process, to push to get it implemented on the ground. We want the Arabs to help do that.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said the meeting Tuesday is designed to promote “the cause of comprehensive peace in the whole region.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan al-Mu’ashir said all attendees of the summit "are strong supporters of the road map and for the efforts that are under way to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is a positive meeting; this is a meeting that will attempt to reverse the cycle of violence and the despair that has characterized the peace process over the last three years.

“I think we are on the verge of a new era,” he added. “We don’t, of course, want to be overjoyed because we understand that this is going to be a lot of hard work. … But we have crossed a major hurdle by both sides accepting the road map, by both sides accepting each other as two independent states.”

-more-

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More on this developing story.

The Summit between Bush, Abbas and Sharon seemed to go very well. Sharon promised to begin removing illegal outposts. Abbas promised to demilitarize the Intifada.

THE TWO MOST OBVIOUS OBSTACLES TO PROGRESS.

  1. The Palestinian militants and
  2. Israeli Settlers.

Both have already reared their ugly heads.

In the following story, some angry settlers are opposing Sharon so much that they predict civil war. ** “Jewish settlers vowed to bitterly oppose any attempt by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, their longtime champion, to begin uprooting settlement outposts as he promised on Wednesday at a U.S-led summit in Jordan.” **
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2877431

Meanwhile, ** "Palestinian militant groups vowed Wednesday they would not disarm, defying an appeal by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas issued at a U.S.-led peace summit with Israel.

“We will never be ready to lay down arms until the liberation of the last centimeter of the land of Palestine,” Hamas official Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi said. Islamic Jihad, another group sworn to Israel’s destruction, followed suit." **

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2877764

Unfortunately, it is, of course, Hamas and Islamic Jihad doctrine that “the land of Palestine” includes all of what is Israel.

Let’s only hope that the Palestinian people embrace the prospects of peace in such majority that they route the militants out of their midst. Israel can’t do it. Only the average Palestinian can.

Let’s also hope that the Israeli people emprace the prospects of peace in such overwhelming majorities that the far right religious parties and the settlers become overwhelmed and marginalized by popular will.

Sadly, the chances of both things happening in my lifetime is pretty slim. :disgust:

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I thought this was a terrific piece. This details a “closed door meeting” that was supposed to be for principals and translators only, that somehow was broadcast by Egyptian TV. (Of course a day later he still cannot pronounce contiguous.)

On Camera but Unaware, Bush Displays His Fervor
By ELISABETH BUMILLER

HARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, June 3 — It was not surprising that President Bush would get tough with the Israelis and Palestinians and demand that both get their houses in order. What was surprising, because of an extraordinary mistake by Egyptian television, was that Mr. Bush would be caught unawares on camera today speaking about the Middle East with more bluntness, emotion and religious fervor than had been heard before.

Anyone who has regularly watched Mr. Bush in speeches and news conferences could tell in an instant that he had no idea that his remarks to five moderate Arab leaders were being broadcast for public consumption. He was colloquial, and referred to “Almighty God.”

By late afternoon, Mr. Bush’s aides acknowledged that the president had not known the cameras were rolling as he spoke. Subsequently, White House transcribers scrambled to record his comments from network tapes.

Speaking the direct language of a politician willing to take a dangerous gamble — as long as the others were, too — Mr. Bush made his comments just after he had spent 90 minutes in an unscheduled meeting with the five Arab leaders, with only interpreters present.

“No matter how difficult it is, you have my commitment that I will expend the energy and effort necessary to move the process forward,” Mr. Bush told the leaders as they gathered for a second meeting, this one with multiple aides.

At one point the president turned to look directly at the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, a man in whom he had invested political capital and was meeting for the first time. “You, sir, have got a responsibility, and you’ve assumed it,” the president said. “I want to work with you, as do the other leaders here. We must not allow a few people, a few killers, a few terrorists, to destroy the dreams and the hopes of the many.”

With that, Mr. Bush turned his attention to Israel, particularly its prime minister, Ariel Sharon, who was not at the table, but will be on Wednesday in Jordan.

“Israel has got responsibilities,” Mr. Bush said. “Israel must deal with the settlements. Israel must make sure there’s a continuous territory that Palestinians call home.” (The White House, which late in the day produced a transcript of Mr. Bush’s remarks, put the word “contiguous” in parentheses after “continuous,” to indicate that “contiguous” was what Mr. Bush had meant.)

For Mr. Bush, the stop in this jewel of a manufactured oasis on the edge of Bedouin lands was his first big step into the Middle East conflict. Few knew precisely what had occurred between Mr. Bush and the five Arab leaders, because they did not even allow in note-takers. Rarely has Mr. Bush gone solo. Afterward, the five leaders pledged they would fight the “culture of extremism and violence” that has undercut peace, and act to control the flow of money to terrorist groups.

Mr. Bush sat at a round table with his host, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. Joining them were Mr. Abbas, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Hamad of Bahrain.

Mr. Bush won good reviews on his performance from Arab leaders, who expressed relief and gratitude that he had at last come to their region. His goal today was to enlist support of the Arab leaders behind Mr. Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, whom he wants to promote as the leader of the Palestinians over the administration’s nemesis, Yasir Arafat. In one moment caught by an Egyptian TV camera, Mr. Bush and Mr. Abbas could be seen smiling and talking to each other off to the side of the other leaders and officials.

“By the time the lunch was over, they looked like they were old pals from a long time ago,” said a high-ranking Saudi official. “The ability of the president to move from different personalities to different types of people — if it was never tested before, it was certainly tested today.” The president, the Saudi official said, had shown his “seriousness” about the process.

So far, Mr. Bush has shown no signs of fatigue or impatience on this seven-day, six-nation journey, as he did on a trip to Europe a year ago. One difference is that this time Mr. Bush is the victor of the war in Iraq, more in control, with far more power to wield. He also appears to be having a good time: This afternoon he grinned as he drove Mr. Mubarak by golf cart from the Four Seasons Hotel to an outdoor news conference on a bluff overlooking the sea, where the president was then seen to kiss King Hamad on both cheeks.

Mr. Bush was also evidently comfortable enough to talk to the Arabs about his own religion. “I believe that, as I told the Crown Prince, the Almighty God has endowed each individual on the face of the earth with — that expects each person to be treated with dignity,” Mr. Bush said in the remarks that he did not know were being broadcast. “This is a universal call. It’s the call of all religions, that each person must be free and treated with respect.”

It is with that call, Mr. Bush concluded, “that I feel passionate about the need to move forward.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/04/international/middleeast/04PREX.html?ex=1055304000&en=811b325b41420da6&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

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I don't know much about the plan, didn't get a chance to read it yet. I have a few questions if anyone knows:

Would Palestinian state be allowed to keep same kind of arsenal as Israel?

Would Palestine be allowed to keep military aid (from any country)?

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Changez, your jumping ahead of yourself here, let's see if we can get a Palestinian state before we deny them nukes, ok?

And don't hijack my peaceful thread and turn it into something else, thanks.

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Ok..why is it haram for an American President to refer to the "almighty god?"

But quite acceptable for others?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Changez_like: *
I don't know much about the plan, didn't get a chance to read it yet. I have a few questions if anyone knows:

Would Palestinian state be allowed to keep same kind of arsenal as Israel?

Would Palestine be allowed to keep military aid (from any country)?
[/QUOTE]

Not now. Perhaps in time. Depends on actions I would think. If Hamas and other groups wish to discourage peace by setting off human-bombs.. I doubt it.

If.. Palestine agrees to current peace terms, but, or uses Hamas to put people under threat.. no. I don't see an easy peace.

If Israel pulls back its arsenol, behind protected borders...and ... Hamas..doesn't walk into the state and suicide bomb a few people...perhaps its possible.

What are your ideas for promoting peace?