The Siren Song of Peace
Belatedly, Rice embraces Israeli-Palestinian talks
So, why now? The question intrigues many. "You've got to wonder why is Rice doing this," allows Martin Indyk, the former top U.S. diplomat for Mideast issues in the Clinton administration who now directs the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution. "I give her full credit for trying."
One reason is that administration officials sense a growing strategic challenge by radical forces, with Iran at its forefront. Rice argues that a "new alignment" is pitting moderate Arabs and Israel against Iran, Syria, and the militants in Hezbollah and Hamas. Being seen as active helps garner Arab support for attempts to stabilize Iraq and to blunt growing Iranian assertiveness across the region. Philip Zelikow, then the State Department counselor, cited this pragmatic rationale in a speech last September. Maintaining a regional "coalition" against the forces of extremism necessitates "that they see a common determination to sustain an active policy that tries to deal with the problems of Israel and the Palestinians."
Another factor is renewed Arab interest, spawned by hopes that U.S. activism can diminish radical forces in their own countries. Senior U.S. officials credit the push by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the originator of the Arab League proposal, as a key to opening more space for U.S. diplomacy to work. On the ground in Israel and the West Bank, U.S. officials last week also found both sides more attuned to restarting a process. "The mood is different," suggests one adviser.
A third reason, say Middle East hands, is the administration's—and Rice's—desire to forge some kind of peacemaking legacy. The recent exodus of several administration hard-liners, including Donald Rumsfeld, may give Rice more running room. "There's a desire to leave some kind of imprint," says Robert Malley, a former National Security Council aide now at the International Crisis Group. "It's certainly more promising than IraqÃÂÃÂÃÂ .My sense is the secretary herself is committed to this."
"Step by step." Rice's inherent caution, however, remains strong. Her advisers went out of their way to say she was "not preaching" at the Arabs—nor pushing hard on Israel. "The Israelis want the United States to be in lock-step with them in terms of the unity government, but the Bush administration has kept some wiggle room for itself," says Indyk.
A former professor who has studied her predecessors' peacemaking forays, Rice says she is helping the parties sketch out a "political horizon," the basis for subsequent peace talks. "My approach has been, I admit, careful," she says. "It's been step by step. I've not been willing to try for the big bang."
Though no breakthroughs are in sight, there is now a feeling at State that it is better to risk failure than to hold back. "In the absence of the effort," concludes an aide to Rice, "all the alternatives are worse."
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