The Geneva Accord : And Other Strategies for Healing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Terra Nova)

Rating:
Summary: An interesting book which could have been much better
Review: Let me begin with what is good about the book. It not only discusses the Geneva Accord, a proposal for ending the Arab war against Israel, it also lists several objections to the Accord from both Arabs and Israelis, and comments on them. This shows an unusual amount of honesty and sincerity in a book about this conflict.

My complaints with the book are simply that it overlooks the major problems with the Accord in making its case. These problems are as follows:

First, when an aggressor has launched an attack on the rights of what it has deemed to be an inferior race, a solution to the conflict generally needs to involve a big apology from the aggressor and a sincere admission of guilt. We've seen that in the case of the American South and and its treatment of the Blacks there by the Whites. We've seen that in the case of the German Nazi treatment of Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs. In this case, an Arab apology would be in order. It is not clear that an Accord which overlooks such history will succeed.

Second, let's suppose that for some reason, we all have to forget all previous history up to, literally, yesterday. What changes in the status quo would we want to make now, even assuming that no one would make amends for anything? Well, we'd probably want to have human rights, including those of life, liberty, and property, for everyone in the region. That would mean refusing to ethnically cleanse any region, it would mean refusing to ban entire groups from an area on racial or religious grounds, and it would mean allowing people of all races or religions to buy land anywhere in the region and live on it. But that would mean allowing both Jews and Arabs to live throughout the West Bank and even in Jordan or Saudi Arabia, which is pretty far from anything the Geneva Accord would imply. Furthermore, given the number of Jews in the region, were everyone allowed to buy land freely at auction, the Jewish region would become considerably larger than present-day Israel, also something quite the opposite of what the Geneva Accord would permit.

Third, for an agreement to work, it ought to offer something of strategic value to each side. Well, this Accord fails to do that. What the Israelis need is peace, but the Accord is unlikely to bring it. What some Arabs say they want is a little land, but that surely isn't what they want nor is it what will get them to quit fighting. What the Arabs appear to be fighting for right now is the right to obliterate the rights of the Jews of the Middle East, especially the Israeli Jews. If the Arabs are not granted this request, the Accord will fail. If they are granted this request, Israel and the Israelis will be left with nothing. Before any accord can be reached, there needs to be some change in actual Arab demands, not merely in advertised ones.

Fourth, there is every reason to believe that were such an Accord to be implemented, all that would happen is that the Arabs would use every Israeli concession tactically, as a means to try to destroy Israel entirely. That is, this Accord could only be implemented in peacetime, not wartime. And if peace requires the defeat of one or both sides, it isn't clear why an Accord will be needed after that.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: The Geneva Accord And Other Strategies For Healing The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a document, developed by representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian people, that incorporates key points of agreement from the Oslo Accords and Camp David Summit in an attempt to seek a reasonable negotiation and a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Israel and Palestine. Acknowledging the cultural histories of Israel and Palestine alike, and presenting an ethical, legal, and militarily secure agreement between two semi-contiguous states, The Geneva Accord is a much needed offer of a solution for a political situation fraught with problems. Highly recommended.