Middle East Peace: Now

'Why can't we all just get along?' This seemingly naive comment which has become so familiar to us, in many ways gets to the essence of what needs to happen in the Middle East. Both Israel and the Palestinians have seen the future. The outlines for peace are clear to pretty much everyone. It is just so difficult for both sides to bite the bullet and agree to live side by side in peace.

The failure to do so, however, is becoming less and less acceptable. How many more women and children need to die before the time is ripe for peace? How many more suicide bombers or rockets launched into Israel are O.K.? How many bombs does Israel need to drop, and how much destruction needs to occur? Is Israel's response truly proportional? Is it acceptable for Israel to resist the pressures for a cease fire in order to achieve their military objectives, even if it means the continued loss of innocent lives?

Beyond whatever justification might be made for the present conflict, does it bring us any closer to where we all need to be? If Israel achieves its military oblectives what will they have actually accomplished? Will the people of Israel be safer? It seems the only real result of the present conflict will be to prolong the struggle. Positions on both sides are hardening. The Arab world is becoming more hostile to Israel and to the United States. It becomes more difficult to talk about peace. The fighting complicates the effort to reach a negotiated settlement, which is the only viable solution to the standoff.

Israeli elections are coming up and there is posturing about who will be tougher on the Palestinians. Thus the elections may provide a rationale for the bombing and possible invasion of Gaza. Such arguments offer lame excuses for a continuation of the violence. Whoever wins is going to have to come to grips with the reality that this conflict must end, and everyone will benefit from that end coming sooner rather than later.

One of the missing links over the past eight years has been the failure of the Bush admiistration to engage in this process. Their recent efforts have proved too little, too late. The Obama administration must change that. They need to immediately insist on a sustainable cease fire, and follow that up with intense negotiations to reach a meaningful agreement to put an end to this conflict once and for all. To those who say this cannot be done at this time, I say it cannot afford not to be done. So much of what happens in this area hinges on ending this conflict. The way is clear and only the U.S. can demand that both sides make significant concessions that will allow Israelis and Palestinians to live and prosper side by side. Both moderate Arab countries, and Jewish interests in this country and around the world should support and encourage that process.

The policies of all countries need to be subject to scrutiny. We analyze and criticize the policies of our own country as we did in criticizing the preemptive war in Iraq. It was wrong at that time to attack those who criticized the war policies of George Bush as unpatriotic. It is just as wrong to suggest that those who disagree with the policies of the Israeli government are anti-semitic. Polls indicate that a majority of the Israeli people as well as the Palestinian people expect their leaders to find a way to achieve a lasting peace.

Former President Jimmy Carter's recent book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid generated an avalance of criticism, suggesting that any questioning of the operation of the Israeli government is unacceptable in this country. We see a similar impasse whenever there is an effort to open any kind of dialogue with Cuba. This is the kind of thinking that needs to change in the Obama administration. We can no longer be forced to take positions which may be counterproductive to progress in our country and around the world just because certain interest groups have the clout to foist their will on our government leaders.