Critique & posit for mid-east peace & security

Putting aside the impulse to find heroes and devils, playing with and offering myths of history, rejecting natural feelings of disappointment, anger, lust for revenge, a habit of demonizing ideas and participants, please consider my analysis and focus on what I believe can be a pragmatic proposal to quickly end the current madness of violence, leading to peace and security for the Israeli, Palestinian people and the neighboring States.

There are many scholarly books, autobiographies and articles that reveal the complex history of Zionism, two world wars, the end of colonial empires, the economic and ideological battles of the "cold war", with many local conflicts, inspired by lust for power, influence, oil, ethnic cleansing, theology, and egomania..

The actions and reactions of peoples, nation States, and various elite, each in pursuit of different interests, accompanied by popular spin, dissembling rhetoric, and noble slogans that call for friendly collaboration, are often at odds with reality.

The current Israeli elite in control of the government and military industrial complex, is empowered by a coalition of diverse interests of the Knesset, in turn supported by votes of the Israeli electorate. This elite has been severely criticized and condemned by the neighboring States, the international community, and a rising voice in Israel, as their military aggression and dispossession of the Palestinian people, all in the name of "defense" (what other choice do we have but to beat the Palestinian people into submission), begets a reaction of violence and rebellion (Intifada II) supported by the entire Palestinian community, rather than obeisance and acceptance of a condition of Apartheid in Bantustan enclaves.

The recent Article by Uri Avnery "How To Torpedo The Saudi Initiative", and history "Pity The Nation - The Abduction Of Lebanon' by Robert Fisk, along with the references noted below clearly demonstrate the folly of seeking to realize a viable agreement for peace by negotiation with Sharon or any Lukid lead government. The increasing violence, bankrupt current policy, dissent and critique at home and abroad, and diplomatic pressure by the USA, European Union, and others may allow the current Israeli elite to accept initiation of the recommendation we posit here below for an International Team.

The USA administration has a domestic political constituency to consider (the Jewish vote), a history of collaboration with the Israeli military, and intelligence establishment in pursuit of USA interests and influence in the region and worldwide, complicity with vetoes at the UN, and otherwise, supporting Israeli policies, rhetoric, dissembling justification, and myths of history that makes it difficult to now publicly take a strong lead role to initiate actions leading to a viable "end game".

While I believe the concepts of first you do this Mr Arafat, and then perhaps Sharon will do something and in time we shall build confidence, and then we shall negotiate some initial agreements, step by step, and later perhaps we shall consider other issues (The Mitchel and Tenet plans, still advocated by some USA spokesman), has no relevance any longer, I believe the USA could soon play a strong hand to "encourage" support for and the formation of an International Team soonest with a force "on the ground" to calm the violence, provide some measure of security and expectation that a just "peace process" was at last underway.

Now to a concept and recommendation for urgent consideration:

The world's adverse reaction to the current increase in violence, taken together with the public constructive posit of Crown Prince Abdullah, offering Saudi and Arab normalization of relations with Israel once a peace agreement is realized between Israel and the Palestinian people, provides a unique opportunity for Dr Javier Solana in his current position in the European Union to "seize the moment" now to initiate the creation of an International Team dedicated to end the current madness and facilitate mid-east peace for the region.

Dr Solana's as Secretary General of NATO on March 9, 1999 spoke to his vision of "The New Security Agenda" to "...give us the political, economic and military tools to deal with any conceivable challenge from regional conflicts to proliferation". His experience and spirit recommend him for the challenge to find support from the USA, the European Union, UN, Arab States, and the people of Israel and Palestine to support and collaborate as essential for this effort to succeed.

My concept as outlined in recent articles calls for said team to solicit advice and collaboration from all interested parties, governmental, business, religious and other venues, and take responsibility for creation of a draft comprehensive agreement and plan, said plan in the form of a referendum to be submitted to a vote of the people (repeat - the people) of Israel and Palestine.

Hopefully a positive vote by the people would be quickly followed by government approval and formal treaties, between and among the parties.

I expect the final plan to reflect the concepts and spirit of the UN Partition Plan of 1947, for a Palestine State, an Israeli State , independent with secure and recognized borders for both, and also as mandated by Resolution 242 and other relevant UN Resolutions.

Ref: See the writer's art. ""International Team Critical For Mid-east Peace", and "Solana Initiative Mandated For Mid-East Peace", also for historical perspective Noam Chomsky 's "Fateful Triangle" Prof Tanya Reinhart "The Second Half Of '48 The Sharon Ya'alon Plan' and "Evil Unleashed".

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)