The decision of the US President George W Bush backing an international force to return peace in Lebanon is welcome and Washington should not waste anymore time and begin the process of immediately holding talks with the two warring countries. Since the last few years, mediation efforts on the part of the US in the Middle East had been waning. Volatile as the region itself is, the Bush Administration should have played a more active role in helping resolve the question of Palestine and their rightful claim for a homeland that is at peace with Israel. The unresolved Palestinian problem remains the rallying point for a plethora of grievances among the Arab and Muslim population in the region. Therefore the sooner Washington returns to its pro-active diplomatic role, the greater chances there is of the stalled peace process getting back on track.
Now more than ever before, the US has to persuade its close ally Israel to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon as requested by the U.N to deliver humanitarian supplies and allow civilians to leave the war zone. However the contention of Tel Aviv that there is no need for a 72-hour cease-fire because Israel has opened humanitarian corridors to and from Lebanon for such shipments and that Hezbollah guerrilla’s were blocking them to create a humanitarian crisis, is a matter that needs to be verified on the ground by a neutral agencies. If it is Hezbollah as alleged by Israel who is deliberately preventing the transfer of medical aid and of food to the population of southern Lebanon in order to create a humanitarian crisis, then it would be futile on the part of the UN to demand cooperation only from Israel because the Hezbollah is as much a part of the problem.
At the end however, the onus will lie on Tel Aviv to demonstrate military restraint so that innocent people are not made to suffer while protecting its own security interest. The problem as it has been made out to be also will require urgent step by countries neighboring Israel, not to provoke the situation to abet violence in the region. Both Syria and Iran should stop using the Hezbollah to get even with Israel but rather the Arab countries in the Middle East must start to recognize Tel Aviv as a legitimate partner for peace and in particular to work together for a permanent settlement of the Palestinian problem. By giving state support to anti-Israeli elements, countries such as Syria can never hope to buy peace with Israel. Rather it would only feed the cycle of violence in the region and deprive people of genuine socio-economic development.
Significantly, the Middle East appears to be the only region (as compared to the global scenario) without an all inclusive cooperative forum for social and economic development. The attitude of deep animosity present among most Arab/Muslim countries towards Israel has to change. The emergence of a Jewish State is today a political reality and this has to be recognized and accepted by the Arabs. Israel on its part must now likewise recognize the need for a separate homeland for the Palestinians. To allow this to happen, the neighboring countries can also help in the process by treating Israel as a legitimate partner for peace and not as someone to be provoked.
