What has happened to the "Road Map"
George Bush must lay credit to one significant neologism in the discourse on foreign policy--the concept of road map. As a geographical metaphor it is simple: a guige from place A to place B. These days everyone talks of roadmaps as if the conduct of foreign policy depends on a road map. Why not a navigation chart, a comparison that is certainly more appropriate because of its association with deep waters, treacherous depths and coral reefs. A road map is too simplistic a concept to chart out the extremely dangerous terrain of Israel/Arab relations.
To begin with the "road map" as spelt out by George W Bush Jrrecognizes the right of the Palestenian people to statehood. Unlike Golda Meir, the Premier of Israel,during the Yom Kippur War,this document reconises the fact that the Palestenians have
a right to a homeland of their own and cannot be pushed aside as a mere refuggee problem. Since George W Bush Jr does not have to worry about re election, and therefore likely to be less influenced by the powerful Jewish Lobby, it is expected that he
will push Israel hard to return to its 1967 borders.
Second, the wall that is being built across the West Bank is acting as a barrier and this wall violates all accepted norms of
inter state relations. Of course there is a powerful justification for this wall in that it prevents terrorists from attacking civillians in Israel' and for that reason its existence is beyond negotiation. We hope that one day like the infamous Berlin Wall this wall too
will be overtaken by History.
Israel will have to play a more constructive role in this matter. Being a more wealthy society and more educated Israel must engage the civil society 0f Gaza and the West Bank. To do this she must forsake the eye for an eye policy and do everything it
can to heal the wounds and scars of the last 60 years.
The USA and the Quartet must ensure the security of Palestenians and hold the Authority responsible for any attacks on the civillian population of Israel. In return. Israel must meaningfully deal with the future President of the Authority.
The death of Yasser Arafat means that the last major world leader of the Nasser generation has passed on.Arab state are undergoingrapid changes and hence the timeis right to negotiate a lasting peace in the region.