Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
One year later, we look back on the recommendations made by Center for American Progress Senior Fellows Mara Rudman and Brian Katulis for a plan of action to address the growing crisis in Gaza and the larger Israeli- Palestinian peace process:
Recommendations
1. “The United States must … bring all the countries with a direct stake in ensuring that the Palestinian people have a future considerably better than their recent past: not only Israel, but the entire Arab League must be brought into the conversation …”
On November 27, 2007, the United States hosted the Annapolis Conference, which included delegations from 49 countries, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Mideast Quartet, the Arab League Follow-up Committee, the G-8, permanent members of the UN Security Council and other key actors. At the conference, Israeli and Palestinian leaders announced a joint statement to seek a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
Following the conference, President Bush visited the Middle East in January and May, and Secretary of State Rice made multiple visits to the region in March, April and May. Egyptian, Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have also discussed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in recent White House meetings.
2. “Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank should start by working toward a political resolution of their conflict …”
The Annapolis conference began direct, bilateral negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian governments, which have reportedly made little progress.
3. “Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank should … take steps to build a Palestinian state anchored in the West Bank …"
• Movement and access: Following Annapolis, Israel pledged to remove 60 roadblocks, but a subsequent April UN report found that Israel removed only 44. The Israeli Defense Forces recently agreed to remove ten roadblocks from Hebron.
• Joint security measures: In coordination with Israel, 300 Palestinian security forces deployed in Nablus in October 2007. These forces faced problems including continued Israeli raids, movement restrictions and an Israeli reluctance to supply certain equipment. On May 3, approximately 500 reportedly under-trained and under- equipped Palestinian policemen deployed to the militant stronghold of Jenin with the directive of combating crime and engaging in counter-terrorism efforts.
• Settlements: At Annapolis, Israel pledged to begin implementing Road Map obligations including a freeze on settlement expansion. The Israeli government, however, continues to approve construction tenders. The Bush Administration has criticized continued settlement expansion, and Palestinian officials cite Israel’s continued settlement expansion as a critical obstacle to progress.
• Palestinian political reform: The international community pledged $7.4 billion to support the Palestinian economy and government in December 2007. Palestinian PM Fayyad is enacting a reform plan to eliminate fraud within the PA by restoring order and security to the West Bank, soliciting donor funds from abroad and creating a clean image for the government.
• Arab League support for the Palestinian economy: The December conference included $835 million in pledges from Arab League states, only $215 million of which have been received. Members of the Arab League also participated in the recent Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem, where Saudi and Qatari companies signed agreements for $550 million in Palestinian construction projects.
4. “While making political progress in the West Bank the primary focus, we cannot abandon Gaza. First and foremost, members of the Arab League should take the lead in facilitating humanitarian operations in Gaza to address the growing crisis there.”
Since Hamas’ expulsion of Fatah government officials, all Gaza border crossings with Israel remain closed. Israel continues to allow UN-supplied humanitarian aid to reach Gazans. This closure has brought the Gazan economy to a standstill. In January, militants blew a series of holes in the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, allowing Gazans to enter Egypt for a brief period of time.
5. “In the near term, the Middle East Quartet should work jointly with Israel and the Arab League to negotiate a cease-fire. …"
In March, Yemen attempted to mediate a Fatah-Hamas agreement to renew direct negotiations between the two sides. On June 4, Abbas called for a “national dialogue” with Hamas without preconditions. The two factions recently sent representatives to hold talks under Senegalese auspices in Dakar, Senegal. Abbas also plans to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus in the coming weeks.
