Friedman's Faulty Mind-Reading

"Abdullah II: The 5-State Solution"
A31, Wednesday 1/28/09
By Thomas Friedman

A big reason why the Saudi peace plan “has deteriorated,” writes Friedman, is because “neither the Bush team nor Israel ever built upon it.”

"Build upon" the initiative? The Saudi proposal is more of an ultimatum, with all of its provisions needing to be accepted first before any further dialogue can take place. One of those provisions is the complete “withdrawal” of Israeli forces (as if we’re in June 1967) to the 1949 armistice lines. Considering this is impossible, how is an Israeli leader to “build upon” the initiative?

Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres did respond in a direct, but diplomatic way. “It’s an important step, but liable to founder if terrorism is not stopped.” The plan was put forth in the midst of the worst terror war in Israel's history. Peres also cited the “harsh and rejectionist language used by some of the speakers” at the Summit. One can only imagine the vitriol if Peres referenced it.

Since 2002, the Saudis have consistently corrected Israeli offers to parse over the proposal by stating very clearly that it is “take it or leave it”. Saudi diplomacy at work.

Still, Thomas Friedman knows something all of us don’t. He knows how to read the mind of King Abdullah. He then downgrades this to a “guess,” at “the memo King Abdullah has in his drawer for President Obama”.

In this magical letter, Abdullah proposes that “any territories Israel might retain in the West Bank for its settlers would have to be swapped with land from Israel proper.” Fatah and Hamas would form a unity government, in preparation of a final peace deal with Israel. Israel would phase its settlement withdrawals over five years, “at the same pace Palestinians meet the security” needs of Israel.

Egypt and Jordan “would act as transition guarantors that any Israeli withdrawal would not leave a security vacuum.” As Hamas would seek a takeover, how would the prospect of inter-Arab fighting on behalf of Israeli security, sit with the King?

Friedman would do well to read former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the US Prince Turki, who made an appeal to Obama in recent op-ed in the Financial Times. The President should “condemn Israel's atrocities against the Palestinians and support a UN resolution to that effect; condemn the Israeli actions that led to this conflict, from settlement building in the West Bank to the blockade of Gaza and the targeted killings and arbitrary arrests of Palestinians; declare America's intention to work for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, with a security umbrella for countries that sign up and sanctions for those that do not; call for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Shab'ah Farms in Lebanon.” How reasonable.

If Obama disregards these simple steps, we all should know what awaits Israel. “So far," the Prince writes, “the kingdom has resisted these calls” of Jihad against Israel.

Apparently in Friedman’s world, any Arab peace proposal is a hopeful one.