FACT
News reports have suggested that U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell has received assurances from some Arab leaders that in exchange for an Israeli settlement freeze they will agree to allow Israel the right to overfly their countries.317 So far, however, no Arab leader has publicly said they are prepared to take this step and the Saudis have once again led the rejectionists in making clear they will not allow overflights.
Even if such a deal were achieved, it is difficult to interpret this as a significant step toward peace that warrants Israel making new concessions and taking further risks. The Arabs are giving up little by allowing Israel to fly 30,000 feet over their countries. Yes, Israel would benefit by having shorter distances to fly and save money on fuel, but this is trivial in the context of the peace process. If Arab leaders were serious about peace, they would begin to take the following steps:
- Publicly acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish state in the Middle East.
- Put Israel on maps of the Middle East.
- End anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement in the media and schools.
- Encourage exchanges of scientists, artists and athletes.
- Cease efforts to condemn and delegitimize Israel at the UN and UN agencies.
- Expel all terrorist groups (this especially applies to Syria, which promised the Bush Administration it would close all headquarters of terrorist groups in Damascus) and cease political and financial support for Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist entities.
- End the Arab boycott.
- Sell oil to Israel.
- Allow people traveling with Israeli stamps in their passports to enter Arab countries.
- Permit direct flights between Israel and Arab countries and allow Israelis to visit.
- Allow Israel to open trade offices and/or interests sections in Arab countries.
- Visit Israel and engage in face-to-face talks to discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern.
- Open trade offices and/or interests sections in Israel.
- Sign formal peace agreements and begin normal relations in all spheres.
Given that Israel occupies no territory claimed by another country, except Syria (Lebanon claims Israel holds a small strip of land that Israel says belongs to Syria), there is no reason why most Arab states should withhold any or all of these steps if they are truly interested in peace. If the Arab states want to continue to foster the illusion they care about the Palestinians, they could at least take the more modest of these steps now and offer to take more in exchange for Israeli gestures to the Palestinians. No one, however, should take seriously Arab overtures that are only made privately, offer only trivial concessions and first require Israeli capitulation to their demands.
