Event Summary
The unfolding crisis in the Middle East has been forefront in the minds of Belfer Center faculty and researchers in recent weeks. It is clear to all here that the continuing tensions in the region have serious implications for U.S. foreign policy in general and on the war against terrorism in particular. Among our many discussions about the Middle East quagmire, three distinguished speakers have particularly helped us to better understand the issues and passions at play in the region.
Dennis Ross, President Clinton''s Special Envoy to the Middle East and a lecturer at the Kennedy School, led a provocative discussion to kick-off BCSIA''s International Council meeting. Ross, currently a Senior Fellow at the Center writing a book about his own diplomatic efforts, showed that his negotiating instincts are still strong as he presented several options for moving forward: 1) the U.S. could move to bypass Yasser Arafat; 2) it could develop a timeline of mutual obligations leading to Palestinian statehood, or; 3) it could advocate a unilateral separation of the two peoples.
New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, who was awarded a third Pulitzer Prize shortly after his visit, gave a play-by-play version of his own role in publicly floating the watershed Saudi peace proposal advanced by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, which offered normalization of relations in exchange for a withdrawal of Israel to its 1967 borders, but which withered in the face of continuing violence.
Friedman also discussed some of the more controversial recommendations he has articulated in recent columns: for example, deploying US-led NATO peacekeeping troops to monitor any negotiated agreement between Israel and the future Palestinian state. As he recently put it: "Either leaders of good will get together and acknowledge that Israel can''t stay in the territories but can''t just pick up and leave, without a U.S.-NATO force helping Palestinians oversee their state, or Osama wins— and the war of civilizations will be coming to a theater near you."
Bernard Lewis, the renowned scholar of Islamic history and civilization, spoke on the broader topic of Middle Eastern culture and society. Lewis coined the much-quoted phrase "clash of civilizations" in a 1990 article about the 14-century-long conflict between Islam and Christianity. Lewis noted that conflict between Christian and Islamic civilizations is often due to their similarities and common heritage and not their differences. According to Lewis, this sentiment can be summed up for both peoples by the phrase: "I''m right. You''re wrong. Go to hell."
Along with other seminars and discussions, these events underscore the Center''s mission to better understand the crucial issues of the day and help policymakers navigate the difficult terrain of international affairs.