Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 11, 1991 TAG: 9104120327
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
U.S. Secretary of State James Baker warned that "there is a long, long way to go" before a conference could be arranged. If it can, it will be momentous. At the table will be not only America and the U.S.S.R., but also Arab nations - all but one of which have refused to legitimize Israel by face-to-face talks - and the displaced Palestinians, whose political aspirations Israel has rejected.
Getting the parties together will be a big step, but only the first one in a long journey. Except for Egypt, Arab countries will likely insist that sitting down with Israel does not imply recognition of a state that does not appear on their maps. Nor is Israel likely to say at the outset that it will swap land taken in the 1967 war for peace, or that it is ready to see Palestinians have their own state on Israel's borders.
That's all right. Before peace comes negotiation, and you don't play trumps before you get into the game. Baker doesn't yet have approval from Arab capitals. So far, the Bush administration has done well to keep the momentum alive in this moment offering opportunities for progress. There may not soon be a more auspicious time, especially for the Israelis.
With Iraq devastated, the military threat to Israel is much diminished. It shrinks further because, for now, Syria is on good terms with Washington. Saudi Arabia owes Uncle Sam one; Riyadh may not be as ready to bankroll other regimes hostile to Israel.
The Palestine Liberation Organization allied with Saddam Hussein and alienated many Arab governments; its political and moral clout has lessened. Jordan's King Hussein can always see which way the wind is blowing. And given its own inner turmoil, the Soviet Union seems uninterested in backing militants or sabotaging the peace process. The opportunity to play off East against West is no longer a big factor.
Not all the picture is rosy. Iraq has been destabilized; Lebanon still is. Iran's recent moves look opportunistic. There's ample potential for trouble.
But Israel has less to fear from negotiations than in several years. Arabs, long frustrated in efforts to make Israel bend, have reason to feel they'd better go for the best deal available. It will be a long while before their position improves. Besides, here is the United States, Israel's best friend, urging it to bargain. The Gulf War has brought much bitter fruit. It would be nice if it helped sow a seed for regional peace.
by CNB