Mort Klein and the Arab Peace Initiative

I am delighted that my friend Mort Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, has joined us at the Pulse today. Obviously, Mort has a different take on the Middle East than most of the bloggers here and certainly than our sponsoring organization, Israel Policy Forum, which exists to promote vigorous U.S. diplomacy to establish the two-state solution--the best way to provide for Israel's security.

But the Pulse will not be limited to one voice. I used to wonder why IPF was called Israel Policy Forum. This blog is the answer. We intend to be a Forum for all kinds of ideas--one state, two state, three state, and even those not concerned about the number of countries between the Mediterranean and the Jordan!

Our primary guideline is this. One can advocate whatever one chooses so long as one is not promoting violence, or implying it.

Otherwise, this space should serve as a stimulating forum for ideas. Our main advice: be interesting. Add to the debate.

Mort Klein is invariably interesting. 

His piece today reminds me of the old joke about the two European Jews who were discussing the news in the morning paper. One fellow was deeply depressed. The other said that he was always cheerful after reading the news because he reads an anti-Semitic newspaper.

"In your liberal paper, the Jews are always suffering. Poverty here in Poland. Pogroms in Russia. Hitler on the rise in Germany. No wonder you are depressed."

"But," he continued, "in my anti-Semitic paper, the Jews are on top of the world. We own all the banks. We run Russia. And I just read today that we have allied with the Queen of England--the Queen herself--to horde all the gold bullion in the world. Life is great for the Jews in my newspaper."

That is how I feel about Mort's column. He is worried that the Obama administration is moving too aggressively to promote the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative. He thinks that Israel's security is threatened by Obama's emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and even calls out certain officials in high places who are implementing policies he views as, God forbid, even-handed. 

He criticizes George Mitchell, the new Special Envoy, for what he views as previous mistakes in dealing with the Palestinians (and which I view as simple fairness) and warns that trouble lies ahead. 

I wish I could share Klein's belief that Obama is moving too fast. I wish Obama would flat-out embrace the Arab Initiative, no ifs, ands or buts. The Arab Initiative offers Israel full normalization of relations with every Arab state on earth in exchange for the occupied territories (which are nothing but trouble). It would end Israel's state of war with 21 Arab states and establish full trade, cultural, and political relations.

Klein wants the specifics. Me too. But the only way to get to the specifics is for Israel (with a push from the United States) to accept the initiative and start negotiating. The Arab Initiative is an opening offer. No one expects Israel to simply say "okay." It merely sets forth a framework under which Israel and the Arabs can state their claims and negotiate a compromise.

What is wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. I just wish that Klein was right and Obama was really pushing the plan hard. But he isn't and I'm not surprised. First, he needs to size up the situation both in the region and here. He also needs to make sure his Congressional Democrats will back him and not the lobby should push come to shove. So cheer up, Morton. Nothing has happened yet. But it will. At least, I hope so.