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Last update - 10:10 20/11/2008 ANALYSIS / Obama embrace of Arab peace plan could benefit Livni By Aluf Benn Tags: Israel News, elections  President Shimon Peres related that Barack Obama was "very impressed" by the Arab peace plan, when Peres told him about it during their meeting in Jerusalem. Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu says Obama was very impressed by Netanyahu's "economic peace" plan. There's a contradiction here: The Arab League plan that Peres is promoting calls for Israel's withdrawal from all the territories, including East Jerusalem, and for a "just and agreed" solution for the refugees, in exchange for normalization. Netanyahu's proposal calls for the economic development of the West Bank, with Israel continuing to control the territories, and postponing the final-status arrangement until the Palestinians forgo the right of return and recognize Israel as a Jewish state - in other words, until the Messiah comes. For Peres the division of Jerusalem comes first, economic development last. For Bibi it's economics first and the division of Jerusalem never. He promised that Jerusalem will never even be on the agenda. Advertisement So who's right, Netanyahu or Peres? Apparently neither. Obama was here in July, when winning the election seemed very far away and his main goal was not to screw up or ire anyone. Presumably he was polite, and told his hosts their proposals were "very interesting" - they leave satisfied and he hasn't promised a thing. Now Obama is president-elect and throughout the world the politicians, experts and advisers are trying to win him over. He would need 10 years in the White House to read every position paper submitted to him. The context of Peres and Netanyahu's respective peace plans is the upcoming Israeli election. If Obama adopts the Arab initiative, it will strengthen Tzipi Livni, who seeks a permanent arrangement and a deep withdrawal from the territories, and say that Netanyahu's positions are on a collision course with America. If he talks up economic peace, that would back Netanyahu's claims that he can get along well with Obama. The Arab plan is nearly seven years old. Jordan's ambassador to Israel, Ali Ayed, is its biggest booster in Jerusalem. The kingdom printed an official Hebrew version of it, and the ambassador met with at least 50 MKs to push it. The plan's Israeli supporters believe it could serve as an umbrella for talks with the Palestinians and facilitate an agreement because it is easier for the Israeli public to support concessions and the division of Jerusalem if it means comprehensive peace with the Arab world. But they know it's no substitute for direct negotiations over the core issues. The attempt to revive the Arab peace plan and to sell it to Obama fits in with the argument over the order of priorities of the incoming administration: First Iran and then the Israeli-Arab conflict, as Netanyahu proposes; "Palestine first" to soften the Arab and Muslim hostility to the United States; or both at once, working on the assumption that dealing with the Palestinians will make it easier for the Arab states to support U.S. measures against Iran, and that dealing with Iran will make it easier for Israel to withdraw from territories in the Golan Heights and the West Bank. Obama will have to decide whether to take a clear stance before the Israeli elections and attempt to affect their results or to wait until he meets with the next prime minister and coordinates policies. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The Eilat bus crash At least 24 Russian tour guides were killed in one of Israel's worst road accidents. Setting it straight Livni: Syria peace must involve more than just eating hummus in Damascus.   1.   Economic peace is nonsense 04:13  |  Jon 20/11/08   2.   It makes no difference 04:16  |  Mark Lincoln 20/11/08   3.   Such nonsense..... 05:01  |  Johnboy 20/11/08   4.   Fundamental Problem 05:39  |  David LG 20/11/08   5.   Netanyahu seeks to be rewarded for genocide 05:45  |  Adam 20/11/08   6.   Confrontation path 05:59  |  Baz Mann 20/11/08   7.   to adam 06:05  |  sam 20/11/08   8.   Perhaps I`m mistaken but the "economic peace" reminds me of... 06:25  |  Smadar 20/11/08   9.   Any approach to peace-making must be based on 242!!! 06:30  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 20/11/08   10.   Bill Clinton & Ehud Barack 06:48  |  crlman 20/11/08   11.   1956 06:52  |  crlman 20/11/08   12.   Occupied Lands? 06:55  |  crlman 20/11/08   13.   Obama`s best choice? 07:01  |  spyguy 20/11/08   14.   "Economic plan" a total non-starter..... 07:45  |  Esther 20/11/08   15.   It looks like a simple rhetorical device Johnboy... 08:30  |  BBSNews 20/11/08   16.   Jehudah Ben-Israel on 242... 08:38  |  BBSNews 20/11/08   17.   What Obama knows about peace 10:05  |  Natallie Durson 20/11/08   18.   #12 An odd logic, crlman 10:07  |  Johnboy 20/11/08   19.   BBSNews @ 15 - Are you a Mind-reader... 11:18  |  Natasha 20/11/08   20.   Obama better keep his thoughts at home 15:18  |  * BEN JABO 20/11/08   21.   Israel is not Czechoslovakia 15:34  |  Sam 20/11/08   22.   IT DOESN`T MAKE ANY SENSE 15:40  |  indrajaya 20/11/08   23.   #22 Indrajayayay - Of course Israel doubts Obama 16:44  |  * BEN JABO 20/11/08   24.   To Adam #5 18:14  |  JR 20/11/08   25.   Natallie Durson # 17 The Four Stages Of Peace 18:30  |  Jeff Northridge 20/11/08   26.   Devolution? 22:27  |  Bijan 20/11/08   27.   peace talks--peres or netanyahu 01:41  |  norma dosky 21/11/08   28.   Jeff Northridge - Thanks for your support 08:46  |  Natallie Durson 21/11/08   29.   End game? 17:12  |  mqk 22/11/08   30.   limited war 18:58  |  arik 26/11/08

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