Jimmy Carter, James Baker, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft on Israel-Palestine Conflict

Landrum Bolling, former President of the Lilly Endowment and Earlham College, has put together a collage of commentary from four outstanding American foreign policy giants.

They are former President Jimmy Carter; former Secretary of State and Treasury James A. Baker; former National Security Adviser to Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush General Brent Scowcroft; and former National Security Adviser to President Carter Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Two Democrats and two Republicans -- but they represent a convergence of pragmatic thinking and analysis about U.S. foreign policy interests in the region rather than self-damaging ideological or emotional impulses that have recently kept the U.S. from getting on the right course in Israel-Palestine affairs, which are consequential globally.

These vignettes harness a stockpile of major experience on American engagement in the Middle East peace process -- and Baker's comments in particular that the "absolutists on both sides need to be overcome" are right on target.

Scowcroft and James Baker very clearly state that the U.S. has to 'offer to talk to Hamas.' Scowcroft notes that there is more than one Hamas -- and that if peace talks got going, Hamas would not allow itself to be left behind in the process.

These clips also get into the well-known Geneva Accord achieved via negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli political leaders, the Iraq Study Group recommendations, and other issues that must be squarely dealt with by the Obama administration and other interlocutors in the region.

Scowcroft and Brzezinski practically demand that Obama will fail in the Middle East unless he clearly articulates the vision of the United States for the region and pushes hard. Brzezinski is compellingly logical -- and his commentary implies disappointment in the current president and his team for not taking the bit more quickly and decisively.

I would add that Iran's internal tensions may make it a less robust patron for Hamas and other groups and states in the region -- at least for the time being -- and that there may be a pliable moment of opportunity with Hamas that may want to diversity its portfolio of interests and support and possibly adjust its posture.

The question of whether to deal with Hamas or not is just a part of the puzzle.

Israel's preemptive strike against Obama's dealmaking in the region by deciding to expand East Jerusalem settlements is a poke (worse than Facebook) at the president and his team. Israel, an ally of the United States, is testing Obama's strength and resolve as much as a number of American foes. I find myself in complete agreement with Scowcroft and Brzezinski that decisive, strong American engagement and agenda setting are required here.

Obama needs to be smarter, tougher and clearer about American views on Israel-Palestine resolution.

There are two segments of commentary in these YouTube clips -- roughly nine and a half minutes each. I've pasted the first above -- and the second in the middle.

Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[jamilk99]

Huh

[Freenation]

i guess all of these 4 men are probably not on the speed dial of derhsowiz, who might come back with another spin article debunking the facts in this article...

[alexa07]

Steve,
Thank you for a very interesting post. The tone of the gentlemen is still condescending toward the Palestinians, but never have I seen such a concerted effort to talk about how to get the Israelis to stop the occupation. They also put the pressure solely on the Obama people to move forward more boldly. Time will tell, but in the meantime, I am not encouraged by the small steps I have already seen with President Obama going out of his way to placate the usual vested interests.

[scampy123]

The first thing Obama should have done was remove Tony Blair who is a proven liar from his post as envoy,
Blair pushed for this UN position to delay his future war crimes trial and he has nothing to show for his time as envoy.
Let us see as Muslim envoy like Mahathir Mohammed the former Malaysian prime minister who can never be accused of a**lickin like Blair.
Condoleeza got it right when she said Blair would be playing a complimentary role.

[Javani]

These four old men sound like men years out of their prime.

The "indispensable party" is Saudi, and the dispensable party is Iran. Gaza has become a proxy battle of these two nations' interests.

[MemoryAlpha]

Tiresome Propagandistic Refrain:
That everything bad that happens in the Middle East has Iran at its origin.

[deminmo]

Is there an Israeli push for the US to either get out of the way
of military action on Iran, or possibly help with one? I keep reading
articles that seem to suggest it. And if this is true, could we expect
to be kept in the dark until something is already underway?

[jackstpaul]

Yes and yes. Of course we could. See: History of US foreign actions via military, CIA, and others. We don't know half of these things.

[BillZBubb]

"Israel, an ally of the United States,...­" LOL. Israel uses the United States as it sees fit. Most Americans, it appears, are amenable to that.

The "alliance" with Israel is a huge loser for the United States and our purported values. For all we've done for them over the decades, we can't even get them to stop building and expanding illegal settlements. Pathetic.

[MemoryAlpha]

Corroborating Evidence:
Gambling with peace: how US bingo dollars are funding Israeli settlements
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/19/us-bingo-funding-israeli-settlements

[louisamast]

Top ten reasons every year we give away billions of dollars of our tax money to Israel:

1. Is a true democratic country with clearly defined borders and comprehensive constitution.
2. Does not have a military. Only a group of volunteers who go rush to their neighboring territories to build shelters, hospitals, orphan houses, expand cemeteries and save lives on daily bases.
3. Always promotes peace and does not posses any nuclear, WMDs or other weapons.
4. Buys us many hearts in the Middle Eastern countries. Consequently we end up with more friends than enemies and that leads us to have access to cheaper oil.
5. We dot need this money any way. We are very well off and have no budget deficit .All our citizens have access to comprehensive free health care.
See Part-2

[louisamast]

Part-2
6. If there is a conflict, she will do the fighting on our behalf. Our young soldiers never have to go to war theaters to fight on her behalf.
7. She never interferes in our political affairs. Does not maintains over 20+ political groups under misleading patriotic names, does not promote her interest in our country. Does not control our MSM.
8. Never spies on us and does not control our major security matters.
9. Never pushed us to Iraq War and had no relationship with Richard, Paul, Douglas and Ron.
10. And finally because it makes us feel good, feeling like we are living in a fantasy land

[BillZBubb]

LOL. Great list but you left out

11. Is a good international partner and fully obeys all United Nations resolutions.

[louisamast]

Clever you!

[Javani]

It is a poor list. It is 10 times too long. There is one reason, the same for the money that goes "to" Egypt:

1. Because the money does not go to Israel, but to Lockheed and other American military/industrial firms.

[TJCole]

They suffer least, who suffer what they choose..!

[Vorticle]

Israel is no ally of the United States. Allies both bring strengths and benefits to the table. Israel offers us nothing at all. We, on the other hand, subsidize it to the tune of billions a year -- more than we give in support to any other country. We are in the position of parents supporting a criminal, wayward son who takes our support for granted and who has nothing but contempt for the Americans. Recently when we asked them to stop building on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem (which they are required by international law to do) they ignored us and continued to build. The only thing -- the one single thing -- we could do to get Israel's attention would be to pull the money plug. But we won't do that, for reasons that are clear to everyone. Instead, like the leeching son, Israel will continue to brutally oppress the Palestinians and fund it with American dollars.

Nowhere is American weakness more blatant than in our association with Israel. This is not an association to be proud of.

[biwee]

Well said!!!!! You "nailed" it.

[US1st2009]

completely agree.

[WorldofTomorrow420]

"Obama needs to be smarter, tougher and clearer about American views on Israel-Palestine resolution­." -

Obama needs to be smarter, tougher and clearer about a lot of things. Unfortunately I'm not holding my breath anymore.

[jsgaetano]

What's going on there is simply fraud- real estate developers building on land they don't own, then selling it to Israelis.

And since government officials are getting a nice slice of the illicit profits, those officials will defend the actions of the real estate developers.

[LanceThruster]

Well said.

[jsgaetano]

I love your pic! I actually use that as my desktop background at home.

[PKatherine]

great post,

i agree obama has to be tougher with both Israeli and Palestian leadership to get to an agreement!