|
|
|
|
|
|
Subject: MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL PEACE PLAN CONFERENCE -1/13/08 Dear Richard, As you know, the conference focused on the procedures and mechanisms which are required to achieve a successful process, and was hence an integral part of the Regional Peace Plan. As a gathering of key figures from the Israeli public and private sectors, moreover, the conference was a terrific opportunity for us to foreground our work on peace and to share with our audience as well as (through the media) with the larger public our ongoing work on all the issues that must be dealt with in order to reach a permanent peace agreement, both with the Palestinians and regionally, by the end of 2008. Drawing on the insights made at the conference, we are planning to produce a document, tentatively titled " A Manual for the Practitioner," which will ultimately form an important chapter within the RPP book. The conference, which included a key-note address by President Shimon Peres, raised many important issues, among them the necessity for a backchannel and the need for the decision-makers to clarify their goals to the professional echelon. The speakers also agreed that leaders must refrain from vague messages which are open to interpretation, especially in considering the defense establishment, which must receive clear instructions from the political echelon. Additionally, it was established that although military bodies should be included in the technical negotiations with their Palestinian counterparts, political negotiations must be left in the hands of civilian negotiators. Our panelists also spoke about the fact that relevant bodies must act to change the situation on the ground, in order to decrease the gap between the discussions around the negotiating table and day-to-day reality. Further, participants discussed the need to conduct additional negotiation tracks with other Arab players in the region. In this context, negotiations with Syria may in fact benefit the Palestinian track, as they would make it more difficult for bodies such as Hamas and Hezbollah to oppose the process while Syria is conducting a continuous dialogue with Israel. Again, we are planning to produce a document that will draw on all the wisdom and insight that our conference brought out, and will share with you this product as soon as we finish it. For now, we are extremely grateful to you for making this conference possible and will keep updating you as always in the weeks to come. All our very best, Yonatan Touval
|
