The Round Table: Fair Negotiations in the Middle East

As we pray that the ceasefire in the Lebanese-Israeli conflict holds, let there be no more talk of victory for such language only engenders blood thirst. Let it be acknowledged that all sides lost.

For once, let it be acknowledged as well that all lives lost in unnecessary war, as both this war and the war in Iraq surely were, are lives lost in vain. For once, let there be no dignity, no honor or pride in death and destruction. Let there be reflection and shame.

The first step toward a lasting peace is burying the dead. The second step is mourning. The third step is accepting that the other suffers and mourns just as you do. Others cry, wail, pound their chests and curse the stars. Others cry out for vengeance. For once, let that cry be subdued out of respect for the dead.

The fourth essential step in the road to peace is open negotiations on the principles of the round table:

1. All involved parties claim their rightful seat. None are excluded. If, for whatever reason, a party chooses not to take its place, a seat at the table is held for them and their interests are considered in absentia.

2. All parties are granted equal status. As difficult as it may be, all parties begin negotiations with equal credibility. No party is placed in a superior position and no parties are inferior. The only value judgments that count are those that are place upon the table and considered from all sides.

3. All parties must negotiate in good faith and all must be willing to make concessions. Any party that practices deception or negotiates in bad faith should incur the wrath of all others. Every party is granted a valid point of view unless and until the presumption of good will and objectivity is invalidated.

In the Lebanese-Israeli conflict, seats at the table must be reserved for Israel, Lebanon (including Hezbollah), Palestine (including Hamas), Iran, Syria, the Arab League, the European Union and the United States.

European nations (particularly those allied with America), Israel and pro-western Arab states (notably Egypt and Saudi Arabia) require assurances that they will not be the targets of attacks. Such assurances are difficult, yet to the extent that they can be provided they must be in the context of negotiated interests. If Hezbollah and Hamas are excluded – or worse, targeted for extermination – there can never be assurances of safety.

If we want to disarm Al Qaeda, we must negotiate in good faith with such organizations as Hamas and Hezbollah. As organizations with powerful influence on the Arab-Islamic streets, having won favor by defending their people when sovereign nations were unable or unwilling, having moved into the political process, they are in fact precisely who we should be negotiating with. They have shown great courage, just as their opponents have, and they should not be regarded with disproportionate scorn.

Is it wise to demonize armed militias as "terrorists" when, after all, our own constitution protects the right of citizens to form "well regulated" militias as the last line of defense against fascist takeover, foreign invasion or military coup?

Lebanon and Hezbollah require security assurances as well. They should be granted a treaty of nonaggression from Israel, backed up by America and the European Union, so that the armed power of Hezbollah is no longer needed. Serious consideration should be given to placing the armed branch of Hezbollah under the authority of the Lebanese government.

Iran and Syria require similar assurances from the United States, a nation that has christened them evil and occupied a neighboring state. If we truly wish Iran to give up their right to nuclear technology (including weapons), then we must give them something in return. As nuclear technology is an asset with economic value, compensation must be comparable. The wisdom and practicality of trade sanctions against an oil rich nation is questionable, unlikely to succeed, and fraught with danger.

Palestine requires a secure, independent and contiguous nation and all sides must agree that it is in the interest of all.

As has often been noted, the conflict in Palestine dates back thousands of years. The temptation is to proclaim it hopeless and ignore it (as the Bush administration did for most of its tenure) but the consequences of doing so are counted in lives and human suffering. Negotiations are always wiser than any other options.

In the case of Iraq, places at the table must be reserved for the three domestic communities (Kurdistan, Sunni Iraq and Shia Iraq), as well as Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the occupying nation.

The first interest of America is withdrawal without undue shame. Though we have forfeited all rightful expectations of financial gain, we may be granted some consideration for the significant price we have already paid. Some at the table may be willing to grant us some measure of honorable intent.

All parties in the conflict have an overriding interest in assuring that the Iraqi nation does not implode, spreading havoc throughout the region – a prospect that moves ever closer to inevitability with each day of the continued occupation.

Negotiations must center on resolving the internal conflict between the Kurds, the Sunni and the Shia. A partitioned Iraq must be considered. The displacement has already begun, with Sunnis being purged from Shia lands, Shia being pushed from Sunni lands, and Kurdistan already a virtual autonomous state.

The solution to the Sunni problem has long been understood: Shared oil revenues. There is no oil beneath Sunni land. As a measure of good faith, the Americans can enrich the pot by giving up illegally secured oil contracts to favored corporations.

Turkey will require assurances from Kurdistan that it will not be home to Kurdish militants bent on avenging the dead. In return, Turkey must take responsibility for the horrific crimes it has committed against the Kurdish community and make just reparations.

It will not be easy. Negotiating peace never is. Too many on every side will cling to the belief that victory can be achieved through violence. Until that concept is laid to rest, the prospects of peace will remain negligible.

Nevertheless, it is the only way forward.

Jazz.

JACK RANDOM IS THE AUTHOR OF THE JAZZMAN CHRONICLES (CROW DOG PRESS) AND GHOST DANCE INSURRECTION (DRY BONES PRESS). THE CHRONICLES HAVE APPEARED ON DISSIDENT VOICE, THE ALBION MONITOR, BUZZLE, PEACE-EARTH-JUSTICE AND COUNTERPUNCH.