REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peace Volume 19 Number 2 March-April 2009 THE CHALLENGE FACING OBAMA By Geoffrey Aronson will necessarily reflect the increased policies towards Syria and Iran may power of Hamas on the Palestinian themselves have a salutary effect on the George Mitchell’s appointment as national scene. Mitchell will also be prospects for progress in the Israel- Middle East peace envoy has strength- challenged to leverage the successes of Palestine arena. Nevertheless, some ened expectations that President Barack the security program—in maintaining observations about Mitchell’s approach Obama will revitalize American diplo- West Bank quiet during the Israeli can be discerned. matic leadership committed to making assault on Gaza earlier this year and in Resolution of the Israel-Palestinian peace between Israelis and Palestinians. dismantling the Islamist-run social safe- conflict on the basis of two states living Mitchell is viewed by all parties as a ty net—to win tangible security and in peace and security is a basic U.S. statesman of extraordinary stature and political concessions by a new Israeli national security interest—and an objec- experience. His mandate comes directly government led by Prime Minister tive that the two principal parties can- from the president and he takes his Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of not achieve on their own. Without more direction from the White House. He Defense Ehud Barak. effective American leadership, there will will open an office in the U.S. consulate As Palestinian prime minister Salam be no end to occupation and settlement, in West Jerusalem, headed by an official Fayyad noted on numerous occasions and the Greater Israel option will pre- from the State Department. Additional before submitting his resignation in vail, at great cost to all concerned. An staff are expected to be on the job soon. March 2009, Palestinians aspire to be active, central U.S. role in defining, Mitchell inherits a complex diplo- free from Israeli occupation, not to have facilitating, and mediating the diplo- matic framework established during the the occupation run more efficiently. matic process, supported at key Bush years to support the Road Map How will the Obama administration moments by the president himself, is a and the Annapolis process. The Quartet address the challenge of reversing forty critical element of an effective U.S. poli- seems set to continue as an important years of occupation and settlement? cy. This approach necessarily includes vehicle for mobilizing international sup- The president, in his March 24 press placing the U.S. view of the contours of port for U.S. diplomacy. Security assis- conference, declared that, “the status a final status agreement on the table, tance to Palestinian security services has quo is unsustainable, [and] that it is supported by confidence building meas- been the key element in the U.S. policy critical for us to advance a two-state ures to address core Palestinian concerns arsenal and may even be expanded. Gen. solution where Israelis and Palestinians including land confiscation, settlement Keith Dayton’s tenure as the head of can live side-by-side in their own states expansion, and the closure, as well as this effort has just been extended by two with peace and security. By assigning Israeli security concerns. This full-time years and he is set to serve as Mitchell’s George Mitchell the task of working as American-led diplomatic initiative full time security deputy. It remains special envoy, what we’ve signaled is that should be supported by equally active unclear, however, how a U.S.-supported we’re going to be serious from day one security and economic operations—now security effort aimed at least in part at in trying to move the parties in a direc- led by General Dayton and Tony Blair protecting a government led by Mah- tion that acknowledges that reality.” respectively. moud Abbas against Islamist opponents The president has not yet articulated As the Obama administration con- can be squared with a massive release of a vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace and siders its policy options, it must contend Palestinian prisoners now being dis- an operational path to achieve it. with a failed Bush administration pro- cussed by Israeli and Hamas representa- Mitchell remains in a “listening” mode, gram that has produced results contrary tives in Cairo or with support for awaiting the outcome of a top level pol- Palestinian national reconciliation that icy review. The new administration’s CHALLENGE, continued on page 6 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE Success for President Obama’s anticipat- will save them from the consequences and ed American initiative to create a two-state that they can avoid taking painful steps to Merle Thorpe, Jr. peace between Israel and Palestine will oppose the powerful settler complex that Founder require no less than a transformation of now holds the reigns within the Israeli gov- (1917–1994) Israeli, Palestinian, and American politics. ernment. Israel must reverse its disastrous national A clear, sustained U.S. challenge to set- Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. project of control and settlement of the tlements will almost certainly provoke an President West Bank and East Jerusalem in order to unprecedented confrontation with Israel Geoffrey Aronson rescue its Jewish, democratic character and leaders of the kind U.S. administrations Director, Research and to achieve peace and security. The Pale- have always tried to avoid. Success will Publications, Editor, Report on stinians, like Israel, must also heal their require patience and firmness. It will also Israeli Settlement in the Occupied internal divisions and summon wiser strate- require building a strong American domes- Territories gy and leadership. tic coalition—including Jews, Christians Nitzan Goldberger The task for the U.S. will also be formi- and others—that rejects the false equation Waseem Mardini dable. To succeed, Washington must re- between criticism of Israeli policy and hos- Editorial Assistants shape the powerful U.S.–Israel alliance and tility toward Israel and its right to exist. As use it more wisely. For years, we have Israel’s best friend, the U.S. must tell the Erin Lauer Intern deferred to Israel’s settlement policy, crip- Israelis and their leaders the blunt truth, pling our ability to play the honest broker that many of them already understand: set- TRUSTEES for an equitable division of the land. Our tlements must end because they are a grave indulgence has signaled to some Israeli threat to the Zionist state and to American Landrum R. Bolling leaders that the settlement adventure can strategic interests in the Middle East. Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. yet succeed. Others, who now realize set- James J. Cromwell tlements are a mistake, still hope the U.S. Peter Gubser Stephen Hartwell —————— N —————— Richard S.T. Marsh Hatem Abdul-Kader, an advisor to the Abdul-Kader stressed that these families Richard W. Murphy Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, will not leave Jerusalem, as the Israelis Jean C. Newsom for Jerusalem, announced that the “Israeli want. He added, “We will set up tents and Gail Pressberg attack is escalating. I can say that the we will stay in them. We will not leave or William B. Quandt demographic battle of Jerusalem has start- emigrate.” The Palestinian Authority Nicholas A. Veliotes ed.” resorted to the Israeli courts in an attempt The Israeli step comes one day after to stop the demolitions. Abdul-Kader Hillary Clinton, the American secretary of announced, “We are trying to gain some The Foundation, a non- state, criticized the Israeli plans to demol- time in the hope that something might profit I.R.C. 501(c)(3) ish tens of houses in eastern Jerusalem. change.” But he realizes that the PA can do organization, supports peace and security for Israelis and Abdul-Kader announced, “The Americans nothing in light of the Arab and interna- Palestinians through mutual told us that they cannot promise us that tional disregard. He considers that “what is recognition and a negotiated they will prevent the demolition of these happening in Jerusalem is beyond the will division of historic Pales- houses. They told me that they can make and the ability of the PA. It is not trying tine. It publishes the bi- only one promise: that these houses will enough. There is no doubt that the PA is monthly Report on Israeli not be destroyed while Clinton is in the not doing enough to help Jerusalem which Settlement in the Occupied region.” He commented sarcastically, “This is not included in the PA’s list of priorities.” Territories. means that we must keep her in the region Abdul-Kader wondered, “Why are they Copyright © 2009 for as long as possible.” The number of racing to hold a conference for the recon- demolition notices in Jerusalem is over struction of Gaza yet no one in the PA Sign up to receive the 3,700 according to Abdul-Kader. He clari- thinks of holding a similar conference for Report by e-mail, to be fied, “This means that thousands of fami- supporting Jerusalem? The answer is that notified of events in lies will be left homeless.” He added, they have no will.” Washington, D.C., and “There are 200 families threatened with Al-Sharq al-Awsat, more. Visit us at demolition at any time as they were given London, March 6, 2009 www.fmep.org. notices during the past two months.” 2 O Report on Israeli Settlement March-April 2009 EU REPORT: ISRAEL “ACTIVELY PURSUING THE ILLEGAL ANNEXATION” OF EAST JERUSALEM The following excerpts are taken from the EU Heads of Missions I construction of the police headquarters for the West Report, dated December 15, 2008.