Word: processers
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Dates: during 1980-1980
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First, the next phase in the peace process, the establishment of autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza strip, will never work out without the participation and cooperation of at least some Palestinian elements inside those territories. I believe the greater part of the population would have gladly accepted such an autonomy, not because the parameters offered are the ideal ones for them, but because this would signify the first positive step in the right direction. This would give them hope of coming out of the present impasse which now seems to be the best chance they may have...
Another aspect of Palestinian importance at this very critical phase of the peace-making process, lies in the fact that the Palestinian issue is the "flag" hoisted by every one of the Arab countries. Thus, without some progress towards its solution, it's almost impossible to see any Arab country joining the talks. Furthermore, even the Egyptian position would be very delicate without such progress...
...situation in the Middle East is very dynamic and volatile. One should not reach any conclusions from one momentary static picture. We can gain the right perspective only by analysing the evolution of the process through which the situation in the Middle East has been changing. Many positions that would have been considered totally unthinkable yesterday are already political facts today. This might very much be the case with today's positions as well. Without elaborating, the U.S. did play a most important and beneficial role in the past. Without such continued involvement in the future there will...
...have no illusions: even if the peace-making process is completely successful, it will not magically solve all the problems of the Middle East area. Many internal and external conflicts trouble almost every country in the Middle East, and all these problems have very little to do with the Israeli-Arab issue. If someone hopes that by solving the conflict he will bring peace and stability to the area, he is very wrong. Unfortunately, this is very much a goal that cannot be reached in the forseeable future...
...Iran bears witness, and obversely, as Afghanistan is also likely to demonstrate at some point. The retreat into Cold War logic, which views indigenous national struggles as indicative of "communist influence," only leads to further alienation of peoples, whose rights are trampled in our headlong attempts at "containment"--a process which eventually creates the instability against which we sought initially to defend. Instead, we must adopt as a general principle of our policy that equal opportunities to social economic, and political development--not military aid and alliances--are the most basic guarantees of stability in the Middle East, and indirectly...