Summer Diplomatic Initiatives

The summer has seen several diplomatic initiatives. These include Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington as well as the visit of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority. President Obama gave a major speech to the Arab world in Cairo. Significant as well were the Lebanese elections in which Hezbollah, as a client of Iran and an inveterate enemy of Israel, was dealt an enormous setback. As I write, the results of the election in Iran are being protested and in a speech, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about a two-state solution. When you read this, the impact of these events might be known.

Nevertheless, for me there are certain points that are and will be valid this month no matter what occurs in the next few days. These are:

1. I support President Obama’s efforts in peacemaking in the Middle East. As a realist, I am somewhat skeptical as to the chances of success, but as a Jew, I am prayerful that one-day peace will come to Israel and the Palestinians. I think that it is especially wonderful that in his Cairo speech, in the capital of the most heavily populated Arab country, President Obama reaffirmed the strong commitment and ties between the United States and Israel, and that the President spoke of the evil of Holocaust denial. Some think that the narrative of Israel begins with the Holocaust. This has now become a piece of Arab propaganda. As we know, this is not the narrative of Israel. We have had a connection to the land for thousands of years; the Zionist return began in the second half on the nineteenth century.

2. This is not the time for partisan politics so far as Israel is concerned. We need friends of both parties in Congress. We need to insure that the administration will place peace demands on the Palestinians and the Arab states, not just upon Israel. Public criticism and demands of Israel by the administration, which will only increase Arab intransigence, has thankfully been toned down.

3. Here is the most important point. Israel, the United States and the free world can ill afford to lose sight of Iran’s desire to create a nuclear weapon. The Iranians have mastered the process of making Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) but have not yet learned how to make or weaponize High Enriched Uranium. We need to stay focused on prevention. No matter who wins the elections in Iran, now is the time for serious diplomatic engagement. At the same time, Congress should give the President the tools he would need if Iran does not begin to negotiate in good faith. These would include the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009, which authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies investing in Iran’s petroleum and natural gas sector and protects fund managers who divest from such companies from potential lawsuits, and the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act which would limit Teheran’s ability to import refined petroleum products.

Let us pray that peace will indeed come to that part of the world. In the past, Israel has taken extraordinary steps for peace when the other side has talked the talk, but not walked the walk.

Finally, I urge you to keep informed on these issues. These diplomatic efforts are proceeding at an incredibly brisk pace.