George Bush told the Annapolis summit this week that a battle was under way for the future of the Middle East as events on the ground underlined the huge task ahead as Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were relaunched after seven years.
Iran, on cue, announced that it had developed a new long-range missile, while thousands of supporters of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, protested in Gaza, chanting “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and scorning Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas as a “collaborator”. In the West Bank, Palestinian security forces shot dead a demonstrator.
The American president came to the United States Naval Academy to show his support for revived negotiations between Abbas and Ehud Olmert, Israeli’s prime minister, against the background of a broader struggle. “We must not cede victory to the extremists,” he said.
In the winter sunshine of Maryland, all was carefully choreographed.
“Today, Palestinians and Israelis each understand that helping the other to realise their aspirations is the key to realising their own, and both require an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state,” declared Bush. “The time is right, the cause is just and with hard effort I know they can succeed.”
Analysts say the key to any future peace process is the degree to which the US and others will be prepared to intervene, hold the parties to their commitments and bridge gaps when disagreements arise. It is far from clear that Bush is prepared to play that role.
Abbas restated key demands for the removal of Israeli settlements, roadblocks, the separation wall and the release of thousands of prisoners — all hard for Olmert to implement while keeping his shaky coalition government together. “We need East Jerusalem to be our capital,” Abbas insisted. War and terrorism “belong to the past”.
“Neither we nor you must beg for peace from the other. It is a joint interest … Peace and freedom are rights for us, just as peace and security are rights for you and us.”
Olmert, like the Palestinian president facing powerful opposition at home, spoke to his own people as much to the other leaders. “I had many good reasons to refrain from coming to this meeting,” he said. “I do not ignore all the obstacles, which are sure to emerge along the way.”
The Israeli leader denounced Palestinian terrorism and the Qassam rockets being fired from Gaza. But he acknowledged the suffering of Palestinians “living in camps, disconnected from the environment in which they grew up, wallowing in poverty, neglect, alienation, bitterness and a deep sense of deprivation”.
Expectations for Annapolis were so low that any vaguely positive achievement would have been impressive. Months of US-brokered diplomacy could not produce a joint declaration on the ultra-sensitive “core” issues that have to be negotiated — borders, settlements, Jerusalem and refugees.
Instead they announced, as expected, the immediate resumption of peace talks — the first in seven years — on creating an independent Palestinian state by the end of the next year, when Bush is due to leave office. These are to be overseen by a permanent bilateral steering committee and will start in earnest on December 12. The issues remain as tough and intractable as ever.
“We agreed to immediately launch good faith, bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues, including core issues, without exception,” Bush said, reading the statement.
The Annapolis conference is the biggest of its kind since the Madrid summit of 1991, with the difference being that heavyweight Saudi Arabia, represented by its foreign minister, has been taking part in its first public meeting with Israelis.
“It is time to end the boycott and alienation toward the state of Israel,” Olmert said. “I have no doubt that the reality created in our region in 1967 will change significantly. While this will be an extremely difficult process for many of us, it is nevertheless inevitable. I know it. Many of my people know it. We are ready for it.” — Â