Help Blair help us

Ohhh, if only this would come to pass, but I doubt it. First, Blair has no real power and influence and the Bush administration is not going to force Israel to make any meaningful concessions. And, force is what Israel needs and understands. Second, the "help" that Israel offers will only be small insignificant tokens which will have no real impact on improving Palestianian life - such as the release of only 255 of the more than 10,000 prisoners (many of whom are women and children) held in Israeli gulags - this is really a drop in the bucket. And, lastly, there can be NO peace without Hamas. It is simply naive - no stupid - to think that a stable and enduring peace can be made without the buy-in of 40% (or more) of the Palestianian population.

By Haaretz Editorial - July 25, 2007

The conclusion emerging from the glum interview given by former Quartet envoy James Wolfensohn to Shahar Samooha - which appeared in the Haaretz Magazine last week - is that good intentions, and even an impressive letter of appointment, are not enough to advance a solution from the outside to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The key to success is political and personal power, which offers the envoy backing from the White House and the ability to influence the two sides.

Tony Blair, who began his mission to the area this week, has international standing and extensive political experience. But he will also require the goodwill of his Quartet bosses - U.S. President George W. Bush first and foremost - and of the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority to succeed in his mission to ready the Palestinians for independent statehood.

Israel must not miss the offered opportunity: the appointment of a friendly leader who has proven his support for Israel during difficult times, as the representative of the international community in the region. The mistakes made with Wolfensohn should not be repeated - mistakes that transformed him from a supporter and enthusiastic Zionist into a bitter critic of Israel after he experienced first-hand the evils of occupation and of oppressing the Palestinians.

Now is an opportune moment for diplomacy following years of confrontation and impasse: Leading the Palestinian Authority are Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayad, both openly opposed to terrorism and believers in a two-state solution; Hamas is isolated in the Gaza Strip; President Bush wants to help, and so do the leaders of Egypt and Jordan; and diplomatic progress will bolster Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's political position and stabilize his hold on power.

Blair's mission is a reflection of the international community's interest in solving the conflict. In such promising circumstances, Israel must take the initiative and stand at the head of efforts to bolster the Fatah government in the West Bank and renew negotiations for a final-status agreement. Israel should not make do with releasing tax revenues to the PA, or freeing a limited number of prisoners. Steps must be taken to improve the people's lives in the territories. Priority should be given to Olmert's promise to lift roadblocks and other restrictions to Palestinian movement, which is being delayed by the military establishment.

Blair's arrival triggered an instinctive reaction in Jerusalem against any external interference in the conflict, and criticism was voiced about a possible attempt by the envoy to broaden his mandate - from building Palestinian institutions of governance to mediating on political issues. It is time to free ourselves from such entrenched thinking. Blair will not rush to take political risks before securing his standing, but in any case, Israel has no reason to fear a broadening of his mandate. On the contrary, his involvement holds a lot more opportunity than risk for Israel.

During the past year and a half, the international Quartet has stood firm on Israel's side versus the Hamas government. The Quartet insisted, and still does, that a precondition to any dialogue with Hamas demands that Israel be recognized, and that earlier agreements with the Palestinians be accepted. Contrary to all earlier expectations, the international community maintained its internal unity and did not falter in its stance. Now that the Abbas-Fayad government has been stabilized in the West Bank, and Blair's mission has begun, it is Israel's turn to contribute its part.