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Last update - 14:33 21/01/2008
Bush's visit: A new-old strategy for peace
By Shimon Peres
Tags: Israel, Palestinians 
Definitive progress on the ground, in the form of economic development, may very well promote and even hasten the political negotiation process.

When a superpower meets with a smaller country, the results are not always necessarily clear. At times the smaller country is more likely to inject a dose of inspiration into the muscles of the superpower, than the superpower is able to inject power into the arteries of the smaller country.

Something of this nature occurred during the visit of President George W. Bush to the Middle East.

There can be no doubt that the U.S., Israel and the Palestinian Authority are interested in the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel.
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A democratic, economically developed, politically organized and capable Palestinian state would change the situation in the Middle East. It would strengthen the status of the United States in the region, making it the player who had the courage, the vision and the ability to allow this to become a reality. It would significantly reduce Israel's demographic concerns and may also serve to diminish the threat that Arab divisiveness poses to the stability of the region as a whole.

If so, then what stands in the way of reaching of a peace agreement?

Naturally, there are differences of opinion, particularly on issues such as Jerusalem and the territories, but there are also other factors.

While negotiations are meant to bridge differences of opinion, what truly impedes their progress are the inherent shortcomings of the process and the relatively narrow area within which the parties may operate between their constituencies and their negotiating partners. Such inherent complexities may affect the negotiations more so than their actual standpoints.

In order for a democratic Palestinian state to be established, the Palestinians must rid themselves of their divisiveness. For the state to be able to govern, it needs one government. One voice.

For a government to be able to maintain law, order and security, it needs one army, when, in fact, there are many armed groups amidst the Palestinians.

In the absence of an effective central Palestinian government with reasonable control over security, Israel cannot withdraw from territories in the West Bank, lest the result be that of the Gaza Strip withdrawal.

Israel disengaged from Gaza, evacuated its settlements and withdrew its soldiers from the area. Yet the result has been that since the withdrawal, the firing of Qassam rockets from Gaza onto Israeli civilian settlements has become a daily occurrence. That is, attacks that are indiscriminate and with the sole purpose of destroying the peace process.

The President of the United States spoke clearly and sincerely during his visit, emphasizing his support for the two-state solution, and demanding that each of the sides fulfills its obligations.

All agreed that Mahmoud Abbas' position and that of his government must be strengthened in order for them to be able to carry what was promised.

Yet it is difficult to strengthen Abbas merely by equipping his people with rifles or armoured cars. Rifles do not shoot people; people do. When a people is lacking unity, there cannot possibly be any discipline among the shooters.

The economic option has no opponents among the potential partners of the peace process. Thus, it is the economic path which is perhaps the only one that may, in a relatively short timeframe, allow the people to truly experience the fruits of peace, for such fruits are tangible. This path encompasses the building of infrastructure and encourages potential economic growth and the creation of job opportunities.

It is only the economy which has the power to prove that peace is not merely a series of "photo opportunities" for the benefit of the leaders, but that it may truly bring about a substantial peace for the people. Economy, after all, deals with less attractive and essential statistics, while politics is often perceived as the art of embracing headlines and high-profile media coverage.

The economic option is also essential from the ecological point of view: to prevent the poisoning of water sources, to prevent the desertification of the land. The establishment of alternative energy centers (mainly solar), the creation of new water resources via modern techniques and the saving of the Dead Sea can only be successfully carried out with the consent of all relevant parties, for ecology has no borders.

At the end of his visit, the President of United States referred to the importance of the economy and security as the necessarily platform upon which political movement and progress may be made.

It is therefore safe to conclude that definitive progress on the ground, in the form of economic development, may very well promote and even hasten the political negotiation process - a new-old concept, which has been strengthened during Bush's visit to the region, and which is certainly important to nurture
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  4.   Mr Peres: Your words are denied by your actions 15:35  |  Tamar 21/01/08
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  9.   You are sick. 21:18  |  Ronn 21/01/08
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  14.   peres and the policy of defeat the denial of history 23:49  |  v hardman 21/01/08
  15.   # 1 Mawloud Ould Daddah @ RABAT / Morocco 23:49  |  Joseph E . 21/01/08
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  18.   TO # 4 TAMAR 00:18  |  YOSSI 22/01/08
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  21.   Here is a remarkable statistic. 00:49  |  Joseph E . 22/01/08
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  24.   # 19 Ben Gurion 08:45  |  Joseph E . 22/01/08
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  26.   Delusions? 21:25  |  Dan Chazan 23/01/08
  27.   nu 20 01:14  |  Brand D. 24/01/08
  28.   # 26 Dan Chazan 05:37  |  Joseph E . post 1 24/01/08
  29.   # 26 Dan Chazan 05:41  |  Joseph E . post 2 24/01/08
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  34.   Peres `Mideast Economic" Utopia 03:11  |  Joseph E . post 2 15/02/08
  35.   Peres Oslo Treason , 03:16  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
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  37.   Too Much Big Stuff 10:01  |  Yannai 03/03/08
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  42.   ps. 16:35  |  Keith 10/04/08
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  48.   lionel levy1940@hotmail.com 08:26  |  lionel levy 18/05/08
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  50.   peace 02:00  |  michael 27/05/08
  51.   a fox in sheep skin 02:58  |  aldroubi 03/06/08
  52.   gilad shalit 23:26  |  lionel levy 11/06/08
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