During our combined nearly 60 years working in the Middle East and on American policy in that region we came to understand the "bicycle principle" —- if you are not riding forward, you are falling down.
Jordan's King Abdullah starkly put it this way to the Times of London last week: "If we delay our peace negotiations, then there's going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12 to 18 months."
President Barack Obama has displayed a welcome and much-needed determination to ride forward and reverse this situation. On his first full day in office, he placed phone calls to the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. He invited all of them to the White House this monrh.
Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, the president declared: "The United States is going to do everything we can to be constructive, effective partners in this process" to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. He will travel to the Middle East next week and deliver his widely anticipated address to the Muslim world in Cairo on June 4, the day after meeting with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia.
There is broad consensus among our colleagues in American policy-making in support of this active role the president is assuming to help the Israelis and the Palestinians establish a two-state solution. This formula advances America's interests in the Middle East. It is the best achievable means for creating a viable Palestinian state and ensuring Israel's survival as a Jewish state and a democracy. And while some have claimed the two-state formula is dead, no one has presented a workable alternative.
The coming weeks are critical to the success of this vital effort. We urge President Obama to continue to make clear to Middle East leaders that they must do their respective parts toward attaining the following achievable goals:
> An immediate renewal of U.S.-mediated Israeli-Palestinian negotiations toward the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel; > A freeze on West Bank settlement construction, the dismantling of superfluous checkpoints and illegal settlements, and the cessation of demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; > The cessation of Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis and of weapons smuggling into Gaza; > An increase in the number of American-trained Palestinian security forces in the West Bank; > The immediate reconstruction of Gaza with a focus on civilian needs and the local economy; > The pursuit of a comprehensive peace between Israel and its neighbors, including Syria, using the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for negotiations.
These are not new ideas. However, they require that the president convey them with a sense of urgency and determination. He needs to reinforce his —- and the United States' —- clear, immovable and lasting commitment to a policy that is in the national interest of our country, the people of Israel and Palestine, and of the entire region.
The contours of the two-state solution have been known for more than a decade. We know fairly closely what the agreement will entail on the critical factors —- Jerusalem, borders, security and refugees, among them. The blueprints for getting there have been set out numerous times. Yet the challenges impeding progress toward the two-state goal remain formidable. These include bringing the Israeli government to accept this approach and creating a Palestinian Authority that can credibly represent both Gaza and the West Bank.
The present moment is increasingly propitious for diplomatic action. President Obama's election and first months in office have captured the attention and fueled the anticipation of the entire world —- including the peoples of the Middle East —- giving the president the latitude that few, if any, of his recent predecessors had.
The United States remains the most significant nonregional player in this endeavor. The Israelis and Palestinians cannot achieve a two-state solution by themselves. Bold leadership by the American president is therefore required.
The American Congress and American people must stand with President Obama and support him and his administration as they work to achieve this vision for the Middle East.
Thomas R. Pickering, Jr., is a former undersecretary of state for political affairs and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Russia, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan. Edward S. walker, Jr., on the Israel Policy Forum American Advisory Council, served as assistant secretary of state for near Eastern affairs, deputy permanent representative of the U.S. to the U.N., and as U.S. ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
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