Let's Get Started, Mr. President Posted by Heather Hurlburt

We here at NSN are all in favor of the President making a big push for Middle East peace this year.  We want to help.  He's made a start by trying to big up Olmert and Abbas.  Here's Heather and Ilan's list of five more big projects we need to get started on right away:

1.  Come up with forces to provide security in Palestine, and for Israel, after an agreement.  This probably means UN or NATO monitors.  Better get started asking our allies now.

2.  Wind up Israeli settlement activity.  A major investment of a President's political capital, in Israel and with the American Jewish community, in an election year.  Maybe Karl Rove would come back and help with this.

3.  Find a way to get Hamas to the table.  Maybe it's not the US doing the talking, but Hamas will have to be convinced, at  minimum, not to play a spoiler role.  We'll need to recruit someone (Tony Blair?  France?) to do the heavy lifting on this.

4.  Significant economic investment in Palestinian institutions and business.  This would empower more moderate leaders and disempower Hamas -- and be incredibly hard to get through Congress.  Many, many chits will have to be cashed in to get that through in timely fashion.

5.  Deal with regional spoilers.  Yep, the same people we refuse to talk to about Iraq:  Iran and Syria.  Experts say that Syria is ready to talk with Israel -- and vice versa.  Guess who's in the way?  And Iran's resources can either enable peace or undercut it by empowering extremist groups.

That's a busy agenda for the next twelve months, Mr. President.  Good luck.

Comments

[Dan Kervick]

2. Wind up Israeli settlement activity. A major investment of a President's political capital, in Israel and with the American Jewish community, in an election year. Maybe Karl Rove would come back and help with this.

Well that's quite vague. "Wind up"?