March, 2002

The Abdullah Peace Plan
Robert Pois, Department of History

Consider the Saudi or Abdullah peace plan. According to this, Israel would surrender all of the territories captured in the 1967 war. These include Gaza and East Jerusalem. This sounds "doable," in the ghastly parlance of our age. However, surrendering the captured territories would require these immediate measures. First of all, Jewish settlements would have to be dismantled, by force, if necessary. Secondly, the Palestinian authorities or, if imperative, a UN international force must ruthlessly suppress all acts of political/religious terrorism by either side.

Oddly, or perhaps not, folks who normally have the religious enthusiasms of semi-comatose wombats really get aroused when the status of Jerusalem comes up. Thus a conference of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim prelates appears to be in order. A delegation of confirmed atheists would surely add an interesting dimension to the discussion, but this might be an intolerable provocation. In reality, the Abdullah peace plan will not work over time unless some profound historical/psychological reorientations take place.

First of all, Jews, particularly in the United States, must abandon the Holocaust/Israel linkage. This linkage is historically potent and emotionally understandable. Yet it has little "real political" congruence with the current situation, and will have even less in the future. Even more unlikely, we in the United States must end our extraordinary dependence on oil. Here, wind and solar energy come to mind, of course; but also those bug-bears of environmentalists coal and - when problems of wastage are resolved - nuclear energy. This probably would not please Abdullah. But if he really favors peace, Abdullah will acquiesce.

To understand the outlook of Palestinians in particular, and Arabs in general, the history of political Zionism must be fully appreciated. However, the disgusting lies and vilifications sometimes told about Israelis, and Jews in general, must also be recognized for what they are. It is somewhat ominous, although again not unexpected, that Holocaust deniers are increasing in the Muslim world.

Finally, ideologists of all stripes - Jewish and Arab religious fanatics, aging lefties, etc. - should either abandon puerile, but often deadly, fantasies, or else remain silent about this inordinately complex and at times literally tragic scene.

IN THIS ISSUE:

The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors, and do not represent those of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, CU faculty at large, or the University of Colorado.

Submissions are requested and responses to these articles are welcome. Click here to provide an online response. Submissions may be sent via e-mail to Thomas.Mayer@Colorado.edu.

Click here for the names and contact information of the membership of the BFA Communications Committee.