The Annapolis puzzle: Another piece for peace?
By Sabri Saidam
The Israeli-Palestinian issue is like a puzzle the completion of which one day will certainly bring comfort to humanity that has long witnessed the accumulative results of failure and the historical rifts this brought about.
Yet with so many pieces lost, success in finishing the puzzle is doubtful even when the opponents go as far as Annapolis. On the surface of this skepticism is the claimed assumption that the three main actors on the scene-to-come in Maryland are weak, Bush troubled by Iraq, Abbas lost over the now internal rift and Olmert disoriented with the many hawks targeting the very seat he's barely holding on to, let alone his declining popularity in the polls.
Scratching the surface brings in a worrying reality given the alliances now shaping up in Israel, especially that of Likud and Shas. Not to forget Lieberman, Yisrael Beiteinu's member of Knesset. All are now rejoicing the introduction of a new conditions and decisions that are sure to lead to Annapolis's failure. In fact, those have converted the much-anticipated and debated conference into a 'reception-like' get-together through a series of steps that don't lead to results but rather to the re-emergence of yet another 'process'. In fact, we may be about to witness the birth of a recycled Oslo declaration of principles which, as far as the peace process is concerned, was successful in creating a process but no peace!
First the Palestinians were asked to fulfill the first step of the Road Map by imposing tight security control and stopping attacks against Israel. When the Palestinians suggested that a reciprocal action is taken, the Americans were happy to support this but were faced with an Israeli rejection, and came back the next day to say according to confidents that this suggestion "was not a good idea".
The very Lieberman that rejected the Road Map and even voted against it one day was quoted saying that such map is a "great asset". He was the man who averted the cabinet's decision to evacuate and remove the settlers' outposts. He then advocated the newest of the hurdles which is now adopted by most cabinet members. It is focused upon the pre-condition imposed on the Palestinians to acknowledge the 'Jewishness' of the Israeli state.
The Ovadia Yosef -Benjamin Netanyahu camp is said to have brought about more and more hurdles through their trusted confidents, Shas leader Eli Yishai and Likud faction chairman MK Gideon Sa'ar. The two are believed to have engineered the decision on Jerusalem for which any change of boundaries must be supported by a majority of 80 MKs, a majority that is impossible to achieve in a 'multi-coloured' Knesset. In fact, the reoccurring meetings between Yosef and Netanyahu are believed to serve as warnings to Olmert against his anticipated and far-fetched 'concessions' in Annapolis.
If the issue of settlements is brought up then it is countered with emphasis on the argument that if Israel reaches an agreement, more and more settlements need to be evacuated; something not many Israelis favour. If the issue of more Palestinian prisoners released in micro numbers is brought up, the issue of danger to security surfaces etc. The list of demands includes 'eternal' sovereignty over Jerusalem which continues to be one of the most explosive topics. As for the Palestinians, putting Oslo on the map, then putting Annapolis too on the map without the hope of realizing Palestine on the map would be their biggest nightmare.
In the words of an ordinary Palestinian, Annapolis may well resemble a Swiss cheese in which our Israeli neighbours win the cheese while we get the holes! I certainly hope he is proven wrong.
Dr. Sabri Saidam, Birzeit University, Former Palestinian Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology in the first cabinet of President Mahmud Abbas (2005)