The Palestinian Authority took the unusual move of placing full page adverts recently in regional and international newspapers to promote the Saudi-sponsored plan. A group of Israelis, including former generals and diplomats, have launched their own campaign in the Israeli media, advising their country grab a unique opportunity. It is partly a question of timing: with a new administration taking over in Washington, and elections due in Israel in February, it makes good sense to raise awareness about the Arab Peace Initiative. …
Although Israelis are only now starting to realize it, with a weak Palestinian peace partner, the best guarantee of Israeli security lies in having all Arab states engaged in peace. … If well promoted, the Arab peace plan might encourage the Barack Obama administration to engage in early peace-making. And the more noise it makes inside Israel, the more it will undermine hardliners opposed to peace negotiations.
But a sound product also needs good packaging and marketing. And the Arab effort on that front has been disappointing. … To make an impact, Arabs and Israelis in favor of the peace plan need to be creative. … Why not hire the professionals to market the Arab peace plan, and flood Israeli newspapers with it for weeks and months–not just a day? Why not target American publications and Arab titles too? …
I often hear diplomats say that the Arabs have done all they could to promote the initiative. Now, they say, the ball is in the Israeli court. … Reinvigorating the proposal today might prove as futile as past efforts. But if cleverly planned, a massive marketing campaign is undoubtedly worth a try. Access the full article>>
