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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Living Features Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Barak prospects
By Hassan FouadWith the election of Labour leader Ehud Barak as Israel's prime minister there is the possibility that Israel will acquire a proper constitution for the first time since its creation. Such a document, goes the explanation, is only possible when Israel's borders with its Arab neighbours are settled and defined. For the past 50 years consensus among the Israelis themselves on such borders has not existed making a written constitution impossible. Instead of international and recognised boundaries there have been armistice lines only.
David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister repeatedly said that the boundaries of Israel are those which the Israeli armed forces can acquire through war against the Arabs. In spite of signing three peace treaties with its Arab neighbours -- Egypt and Jordan -- in which borders were demarcated Israel has yet to define its international boundaries. This may now change. Barak during his election campaign pledged to bring closure to the Arab-Israeli conflict by the end of the year 2000. After his election triumph he reiterated his campaign promise to reach an agreement with Lebanon that would permit Israel to withdraw its forces from the so-called security zone in the south. This he promised to do within a year.
Barak is equally keen to generate movement on the prickly question of the Syrian Golan Heights. Disengagement there is intricately connected with Israeli's occupation of south Lebanon as Syria has interests in both areas. Barak has indicated that the Syrian-Israeli negotiations will be resumed at the point reached by his Labour predecessor, Prime Minister Rabin and his foreign minister, Shimon Peres. Barak is well qualified to oversee such negotiations as he was the army chief of staff in 1994 and met with his Syrian counterpart Lieutenant General Hikmat Al-Shehabei when security arrangements that were to follow the Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights were discussed. Barak has strategic political and military knowledge which should make a renewal of talks easier.
The British Sunday Times reported this week that Barak was ready to return the Golan Heights to the Syrians as part of a genuine peace settlement in return for a non-militarised zone 24 kilometres in depth which would straddle both sides of the border. The peace agreement would include clauses that would apply to both the Syrian and the Lebanese fronts. Barak's handling of these proposals is in marked contrast to the confrontational style of his predecessor Netanyahu. In his search for permanent borders Barak seeks national consensus for his actions. He has declared his intention of holding a referendum on whatever agreements he reaches with the Arabs. His vision and style is in marked contrast to the former Likud leader's dictatorial methods.
Barak has a better public relations image in the eyes of most Israelis and seems to offer hope of change to the Arabs. His pronouncements so far appear to be acceptable to both sides. Restarting the peace process is as much a concern for Israelis as it is for the Arabs. For both parties Barak's landslide victory has signalled that the nightmare of the Netanyahu period has ended.
For the Israelis that I talked to the general feeling was that Israel's security lies not in land or geography but in peace with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbours. Barak's success is not guaranteed but he will be given credit for having made an honest attempt to remove the main obstacles in the way of the peace process.
Barak was elected on his reputation as an honest man and not just because his opponent was a flawed individual. His challenge now is to create a government that is inclusive in terms of the different political parties and unified in its sense of purpose.
Under Ben Gurion the ultra-Orthodox confined their attention to such matters as "what it means to be Jewish". Today one Orthodox party -- Shas -- has 17 seats in the Knesset and is the third biggest bloc in the parliament. It is in a position to contribute towards achieving peace at home by conducting talks with secular group should it choose to do so. This internal unity is seen by many as a pre-requisite for peace abroad and for a state with defined boundaries and a constitution.
