Geography in the Middle East.

¶ … geography in the Middle East. Specifically it will discuss the road toward Middle East peace and the Annapolis Conference, and how they relate to peace in the area. The Road Map for Peace in the Middle East formulates a complex process for recognition of Israel and the formation of another Palestine for displaced Palestinians. This is a long-term process that has had many roadblocks along the way. For a lasting peace in the Middle East, Israel and Palestine must learn to co-exist, and they must both make sacrifices, and that does not seem to be possible between them.

The Road Map was adopted by United Nations countries (a quartet, referred to in the document), as a performance-based timetable to create a workable peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians. The plan was adopted in 2003, and still has not come to fruition. The document states, "A settlement, negotiated between the parties, will result in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors" (Editors). However, this has not been accomplished, and there are impediments on both sides that seem to preclude peace occurring in at least the near future.

Geographically, the State of Israel, created in 1948 after World War II, was carved out of existing Palestine in an attempt to house Middle Eastern and European Jews in their own country. The Arabs living in the area disagreed with the decision and fought a war to keep Israel from forming, but they lost, and there never was a true Palestinian state created. Instead, many Palestinians fled to areas like the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the area designated as "Palestine" was ruled by Israel and Jordan. After the Six-Day War, Israel expanded its territory and took over the Gaza Strip and West Bank, along with other important acquisitions. This has led to strained relationships, attacks, and war between Israel and the Palestinians. The geography of the area is paramount to the strained relationships between the two groups, because geography is at the foundation of the problem. Palestine wants its own country and land for its inhabitants, and to get that, Israel has to remove their settlements and occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank areas of the country. These areas only make up a small fraction of Israel's territory, but so far, they continue to build settlements and occupy lands the Palestinians view as their own. Israel did pull out of the Gaza Strip, but they continue to control the West Bank, and that angers the Palestinians.

Politically, the two parties could not be further apart. As the text of the Annapolis Conference notes, "Each side maintains that the other has not fulfilled its obligations under the three-phase Road Map; independent observers agree that neither has done so" (Migdalovitz 1). In addition, both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas are relatively weak within their own political systems, and so they may have trouble convincing their governments to complete the steps in the Annapolis Conference that support the Road Map for Peace in the area. Some Middle Eastern countries want Abbas to reconcile with Hamas, who essentially has control of the Gaza Strip now. However, most experts believe Israel will not negotiate with the PA if Hamas is involved. The State Department notes, [I]t is unlikely that Israel would agree to negotiate with it unless Hamas meets conditions set out in 2006 that it recognize Israel, disavow violence, and accept all prior Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas officials show no inclination to meet these conditions" (Migdalovitz 5). Thus, the politics of the region and the two countries may keep them from seriously addressing the many problems that need to be addressed, and keep them from completing any peace accords in the near future.

Implementing this Road Map is extremely difficult because both sides do not trust each other, and they are not following all the steps of the Road Map. In addition, the government of Palestine was split between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas, a U.S. recognized terrorist organization until recently, and Hamas violently opposes peace with Israel, they want to instead destroy the country. In fact, since Hamas was removed from participating in the PA government, they boycotted the Annapolis Conference and called it "useless" (Migdalovitz 3). Phase I of the Road Map was supposed to be implemented in 2003, and the two parties are nowhere close to even that first step in the process. The problems stem from the Israeli belief that they should not cede all of the territory they gained in the Six-Day War, and their continued development of many of these areas. The Palestinians want specific concessions about refugees and compensations, and Israel will not agree to these. The countries political parties are split on what they hope to accomplish with the peace process, and so, there is dissention between the parties and their desires. It will be extremely difficult to implement the Road Map or any other peace process unless these groups can mend their differences and make some concessions, but that does not seem to be possible.

One of the tenets of the Road Map is an end to all terrorism in the area, and an end to terrorism within the participating countries, and that is almost impossible to maintain, with all the different factions against Israel and Palestine in the region. This is another roadblock in the process, but it is easy to see why it is such an important element. There are terrorist activities going on just about daily in many areas of the Middle East, because tensions are so high, and these activities are difficult to control. In Palestine's case, Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization, and being involved with them makes the entire government suspect, and certainly unable (or unwilling) to combat terrorist attacks against Israel (and other countries). It is important to eliminate terrorism throughout the area, but that may be a goal that simply cannot be met.

However, the Annapolis Conference presented a more upbeat assessment of the peace process and the possibilities. President Bush said of the Conference, "President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to follow up the negotiations in order to offer all necessary assistance for their advancement" (Bush). While these talks continue, there are so many areas of concern between both parties that little progress besides talking have been made. Hamas continues to attack Israel from the Gaza Strip, and other neighboring countries, such as Jordan and Lebanon, have border and territory disputes as well, so the players in the process have many different facets they must address as the peace process continues.

There is another aspect of the peace process that is disturbing to many in the Middle East. Ultimately, the United States has the approval of the terms of the peace process. President Bush notes, "The United States will monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both sides of the road map. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, implementation of the future peace treaty will be subject to the implementation of the road map, as judged by the United States" (Bush). For some countries in the Middle East, this is an unnecessary clause, and others may want other countries, such as the Quartet that created the Road Map, involved in the peace process. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice notes, "We will look for ways to engage positively and support the parties in turning their discussions into substantive agreement. And building on the recent Paris donors conference, we will continue to support President Abbas' efforts to build an effective democratic state" (Rice). Palestine has to develop an entire working government and all the infrastructure that entails, which is a feat in itself, and there will have to be adjustments from other countries in recognizing both the Israeli and Palestinian governments, so there are many problems still facing the two countries, and many barriers they have to overcome to create a lasting peace in the region.