By Munir K. Nasser
Chief Correspondent, Washington, DC
Albawaba.com
Commenting on the early elections in Israel, a State Department official told Albawaba.com that no matter what happens, the United States will always be committed to the security of Israel. “We supported Israel through many governments. We continue to support their efforts in the peace process and in ending the violence,” he stressed.
When asked about the likelihood of resuming peace negotiations with the Palestinians before the Israeli elections, the official said it is going to be difficult for Barak to negotiate a peace deal during the final days of the Clinton administration. He argued that the US is still struggling with the transitional period following its contested presidential elections.
The official said the early Israeli elections come at a difficult time when the US is still trying to end the violence and possibly bring the parties back to the negotiating table. He noted that even if the violence stopped for two or three weeks, it is going to be difficult for the Israelis and Palestinians to come to Washington and resume negotiations at this time. He said the consensus in Washington is that the actual negotiations and reaching a comprehensive peace treaty is going to have to wait for the next administration.
The official expressed concern that the next 90 days may leave a vacuum that can be filled with violence if no progress on the peace process was achieved soon. He said that most people think the only thing that can be achieved now is simply to stop the hostilities. He predicted that both sides may reach some small agreements on steps to make sure that the violence does not re-occur.
In response to a question about the role to be played by the US Fact-Finding Committee headed by former Senator George Mitchell, the official emphasized that the Committee was established under President Clinton’s auspices, and that the members of the Committee are not US government officials. He said the Committee would conduct its work as objectively and independently as possible.
The official said the Fact-finding Commission would provide a buffer and make suggestions to calm the violence in the West Bank and Gaza. He added that the Committee’s independent mechanism would allow it to work with the Israelis, the Palestinians and the UN to find out how this violence began, and what can be done to prevent it in the future.
He stressed that they are not going to assess blame or point fingers at any side. “Their purpose is to assess the facts from both sides, and maybe to suggest ways to prevent this from happening in the future,” he said. “And obviously one way to prevent this is better communication. They will try to decide what the communication flow was, and where it broke down, and why they could not contain the violence early on.”
The official declined to comment on the report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recommended that Israel accept an international monitoring presence in the West Bank and Gaza. He said the State Department is studying the recommendations closely. He added such recommendations have been under consideration for sometime, but there is no consensus between the parties on this issue. “An international force can only be agreed on if both partiers agree to it. You cannot send any UN force unless the violence stops,” he said.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
