Prospects for Peace

It's worth checking out Lebanese Prime Minster Fuad Siniora's op-ed in the New York Times.  Despite the weaknesses of leadership in the region, the revised Arab Initiative does offer a real opportunity which should not be missed, and that is again articulated by Siniora in his op-ed.

The July war proved that militarism and revenge are not the answer to instability; compromise and diplomacy are.

This should be the impetus for Israel to seek a comprehensive solution based on the Arab Peace Initiative. The Winograd Commission’s failure to discuss the war’s implications for peace prospects leads one to wonder whether Israel would rather allow this conflict to fester as long as it is under relatively controlled conditions. Its goal should be regional peace and security, which can be realized only through a just resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The inevitable alternative is increased extremism, intolerance and destruction.

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Because of its unique role in the world, the United States has a responsibility to display leadership and courage in helping the two sides achieve a just and lasting peace. The people of the Middle East aspire simply to live in freedom and dignity, without constant threats of violence, occupation and war.

However, a relaunched peace process should not be an excuse for the US to further play internal politics inside certain Arab polities whether it be Lebanon or the Palestinian Authority.  Even if it might be intended as such, Prime Minister Siniora's message should not be pursued as an invitation for such intervention. 

The other thing to note about the Lebanese leader's op-ed is that he actually is not as forthcoming as Palestinian leadership has been in outlining a peace proposal that takes into account Israeli sensitivities, especially on the refugee issue.

I'll be posting more on this later.