‘It is important not to over scrutinise every development regarding the
Middle East conflict – the road to peace is bumpy and unpredictable.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings in London
with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US envoy George Mitchell can only
be regarded as positive. The suggestion of tougher international action
against Iran’s illegal nuclear programme in return for an Israeli
settlement freeze demonstrates that President Barack Obama sees peace
in the Middle East as dependent on many interlinking factors. Whether
we see a breakthrough in the coming days or not, those that want a two
state solution and those that justifiably fear an Iranian nuclear
weapon can be reassured that the new US President is approaching the
Middle conflict in a progressive, comprehensive and refreshing manner.
Gordon Brown is, I believe, right to be cautiously “optimistic”.’ – Andrew Gwynne MP, chair of Labour Friends of Israel
‘The
Israeli government is not the major obstacle to peace in the Middle
East and it is not the Israeli government that breaks promises. The
Palestines’ leaders have betrayed their people over and over again by
throwing away opportunities to reach a political settlement, by being
seduced by those preaching the destruction of the state of Israel and
then suffering the consequences of excessive force from the IDF as they
try to neutralize military threats to their citizens. Threats embedded
in civilian populations. These security operations then encourage the
most extreme groups amongst the Palestinians even further. But beyond
this it is the shortsightedness of the Palestinians and the Arab states
that bank roll them, the sheer strategic ineptitude of them, that is
the greatest threat to this peace process as it has been to virtually
every other process since the Camp David accord. The Israel government
have got many things wrong, the Palestinian leaders of all the groups
from Hamas back have got nothing right – why should we expect anything
more this time. As Progressives we need to support moderates on both
sides but above all we need to articulate a realism about the nature of
the current leadership that the Palestinian people have chosen and be
honest about where the real obstacles to peace lie.’ – Brian Brivati, director of the John Smith Memorial Trust. He writes here in a personal capacity.
‘The
active participation of President Obama in Middle East peace moves is
strongly to be encouraged, but attempts to revive sham negotiations
between unequal parties or to build trust between an occupying
authority and an occupied people are a waste of effort. Freezing
settlement growth is desirable but not an end in itself. Linking
progress towards Israeli-Palestinian peace with the Iranian nuclear
issue is full of hazards. Rather, Obama should invite the parties to
tender their realistic visions of the endgame within a brief period and
then mediate between them, backed up by powerful inducements. We cannot
afford a further failure.’ – Tony Klug, special advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and vice-chair of the Arab-Jewish Forum
‘More
pieces are in place for a breakthrough on the Middle East than we have
seen in a decade. Obama is engaging in a way Bush refused to do. Fatah
have shown at their congress last week a real break with violence and
are now a partner for peace. Prime minister Netanhyu is being told by
all European leaders this week it is time to stop building colonies in
Palestine. The Jew-haters are still there as are the ultras in Israel.
But this is a chance for peace if all seize it the way the IRA and
Unionist ultras made peace under Tony Blair in 1997.’ – Denis MacShane MP, former minister for Europe
‘President
Obama has made a difference. The right wing Israeli government has lost
the previous unthinking neo-con support of Washington. It faces a
concerted US effort to get meaningful negotiations, but continued
Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian divisions between Fatah and
Hamas and the West Bank and Gaza make prospects for a two state
solution and a viable Palestinian state extremely doubtful.’ – Mike Gapes MP, chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee
‘It’s
absolutely essential that the United States is fully committed to a
fair and just settlement in the Middle East and especially at a time
when most people are very pessimistic about the prospects of a
successful outcome. President Obama has done well in using his profile
to stress that the US is committed to being an honest broker and a
facilitator for peace.
He has begun to break down scepticism
about the Americans from the Palestinian side and although that could
create suspicion among Israelis he’s also been very clear that he is
committed to a fair outcome, and pro-peace Israelis can see that his
motivation is sincere.
The role of the international community
in Britain is much less to pick sides or engage in the inevitable blame
game between different parties, it is to keep stressing that the
international community will broker a fair settlement that gives peace
and security to Israel and Palestine. Anybody outside the region who
wants to play a constructive role should make that their goal.’ – Sunder Katwala, general secretary of the Fabian Society
‘Even
though the recent news seems positive, it’s easy to be cynical about
the possibility of a lasting peace agreement in the Middle East.
History would seem to tell us that such dreams are illusory. But as
Bobby Kennedy once put it, “Some men see things as they are and say
why. I dream things that never were and say why not.”’ – Alex Bigham, progressive internationalism columnist on Progress Online