The Prospects for the Camp David Peace Process

THE PROSPECTS FOR THE ___ CAMP DAVID PEACE PROCESS Sol M. Linowitz The text of this article originated in the form of remarks made by Ambassador Linowitz on March 10, 1981, as a speaker in the annual Christian A. Herter Lecture Series at SAIS. I? talking about the Middle East peace negotiations—what we're up to, what we're trying to accomplish, and where we'd like to go from here—let me start by putting before you my deeply held convictions about these negotiations. I believe that despite the complexities, the frustrations, the disappointments, and the disagreements, the United States has a real opportunity in these negotiations: first, the opportunity for enhanced American influence in the region; second, the opportunity to help achieve lasting peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors; and third, the opportunity to move forward the whole peace process in the region. And I submit to you, notwithstanding our disappointments and the frequent and premature obituaries for the Camp David process, the prospects for achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab states are still better today than they have been for thirty years. Shortly before the inauguration of President Reagan, I went to Egypt and Israel and had a chance to talk with both President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin about the status of the autonomy negotiations and the prospects for the future. At the conclusion ofour meetings I was authorized to read on their behalf a statement in which they unequivocally declared their full support for the Camp David process and their Sol M. Linowitz is a seniorpartner ofCoudert Brothers international law firm. He was conegotiator ofthe Panama Canal treaties, and served as President Carter's personal representative to the Middle East negotiations. 93 94 SAIS REVIEW commitment to these negotiations as, in their words, "the only viable path toward comprehensive peace in the Middle East today." In turn, I was able to assure them, on behalf of President Reagan, that the new American administration would remain firmly committed to the Camp David process and would continue to play its proper role in advancing the prospects for Middle East peace. Against that backdrop, I think it is appropriate to ask some questions : What is it that we're up to in these negotiations? How well have we been doing? And why is it important for us to press forward in these discussions and negotiations? Well, the answers to those questions arise directly from what took place at Camp David in September of 1978. You will remember that President Carter invited Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat to Camp David, and what happened there became one ofthe most dramatic stories ofour century. As a result ofthirteen days of intensive and arduous negotiations, the two most powerful states in the Middle East agreed to make peace after decades of hostility and flashes of outright war. Beyond that, the two powers, with the United States as a full partner, pledged themselves to achieve a broader peace that would extend throughout the region. The Camp David agreement was, of course, in itself a momentous achievement. But it was only a beginning, for what was more important than the agreement itself was the process that it set in motion. Let me remind you that at Camp David the parties agreed upon three clear and specific goals. First, they sought to achieve peace and a productive working relationship between Egypt and Israel. Second, they set as their goal the provision offrili autonomy to the inhabitants ofthe West Bank and Gaza under a transitional arrangement that would not exceed five years and that would involve the election of a self-governing authority by the Palestinians themselves. The parties explicitly agreed that this transitional arrangement must respect the security of all parties concerned, notably the security of Israel. In addition, it was agreed that Jordan would be invited to join the autonomy discussions, and that the Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza could send delegations to join the teams ofEgypt and Jordan. The third, and by far the most ambitious, goal set forth by the parties at Camp David was a broader comprehensive peace among...