1. Annapolis Conference: Key Analysis and Documents

2. Jerusalem News: Har Homa Tests Annapolis; Debate Continues on a City Already Divided

3. Humanitarian Outlook: Improved Palestinian Economy Goes Hand in Hand with Peace

4. Christian Peacemaking: CMEP Post-Annapolis Letter and Evangelical Leaders on Two States

5. O Little Town of Bethlehem: National Geographic Magazine Features City of Jesus’ Birth

6. Interreligious Holy Land Leaders: Support Peace Efforts, Should Play Role in Negotiations

As 2007 draws to an end, prospects for Holy Land peace seem poised at a moment of great hope, opportunity and risk. 

There is hope because the Annapolis conference brought together Israeli, Palestinian, Arab and world leaders like never before to focus all of these parties, if only for one day, on the achievement of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.  There is opportunity now because international attention is focused on the urgent need for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state that can live in peace alongside a secure Israel.  The contours of a peace agreement are widely known—what is needed is the necessary political and moral courage.  There is risk because failure to implement the plans made at Annapolis could dash fragile hopes and jeopardize the leaders involved, creating further instability in a region already marked by turmoil. 

With the pomp and circumstance of the Annapolis conference now over, all parties must turn to the hard work of implementation:  to make significant humanitarian and security changes on the ground while pursuing serious final status talks to capitalize on the momentum created by the international meeting.  The talks held Dec. 12^th between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, though off to a fraught start with tense discussions over settlement expansion plans in East Jerusalem and continued rocket attacks out of Gaza, represent the first actual bi-lateral peace negotiations in seven years.  The donor meeting on Dec. 17^th will be the next opportunity to follow up on Annapolis commitments and take tangible steps to improve living conditions in the Palestinian territories.  The Moscow meeting tentatively planned for early 2008 is slated to cover comprehensive Israeli-Arab issues.  President Bush plans to visit the region in early January, his first visit to the Holy Land as President. 

While peace efforts are always accompanied by a good deal of skepticism, there is no excuse for key players and interested parties not to do all that they can to ensure that the process launched in Annapolis becomes the vehicle for achieving Israeli-Arab peace.  The apt question is not whether Annapolis will fail, but what must be done to make sure it leads to success.  The United States in particular, through sustained and robust diplomacy, has a key role to play to carry out the Annapolis understanding and help turn the promise of peace into reality in 2008. 

1. ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE: KEY ANALYSIS AND DOCUMENTS

“An opportunity for peace”, Rafi Dajani, The Boston Globe, November 29, 2007

“The importance of the Annapolis meeting on Middle East peace was not in the joint statement it produced, or in the speeches of the American, Israeli, and Palestinian leaders. Rather, it is in the real opportunity that the meeting has created for peace.   This opportunity reflects the realization by all parties and the international community that the time has come for Israeli-Palestinian peace because the costs of inaction are high and mounting. For all of its forecasted inadequacies, Annapolis in fact has delivered the official re-launching of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians after a seven-year deep freeze.  It also significantly demonstrated a deep and public commitment of the United States, the international community, and major Arab players to supporting Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations…”

"Thoughts on Annapolis", Daniel Levy, Prospects for Peace Blog, November 29, 2007 

“…It's easy to be cynical, but Annapolis does matter. Israelis and Palestinians formally re-launched permanent status negotiations after seven long, violent and destructive years. The Bush administration is finally engaged and expending some capital on this issue. The Arab world, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, attended. At the very least, it is the kind of gathering that cannot be convened every fortnight. The uninvited naysayers back home—Hamas, Iran, you know the list—may look like meanie spoil-sports today, but if a month from now negotiations are stalled and the situation on the ground is just as dreadful (place your bets), then it is they who will be wearing the Cheshire cat grins. Annapolis could signify the rebirth of hope, but for this to be the case the credibility gaps that have the sceptics buzzing will need to be addressed…” 

Full Article >

“The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Annapolis and After”, Middle East Briefing N°22, International Crisis Group, November 20, 2007

“…The [Annapolis] meeting, like the process it aims to spawn, occurs in a highly politicised context, with sharp divisions in the Palestinian and Israeli camps. These will make it hard to reach agreement and harder still to sell it to both constituencies and, for the foreseeable future, virtually impossible to implement. Moreover, failure of the negotiations could discredit both leaderships, while further undermining faith in diplomacy and the two-state solution.  To maximise chances of success and minimise the costs of failure, Israelis and Palestinians need to seriously confront permanent status issues, while taking steps to improve the situation on the ground; the U.S. and other international actors need to adopt a more proactive role, proposing timely compromises as well as imposing accountability for both sides’ actions; and a different approach is needed toward those (principally Syria and Hamas) whose exclusion risks jeopardising any progress…”

Full Report >

“Joint Understanding Read by President Bush at Annapolis Conference”, Office of the White House Press Secretary, November 27, 2007

“Remarks By President Bush At The Opening Of The Annapolis Meeting”, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis Conference, November 27, 2007

“Address By Prime Minister Of Israel, Ehud Olmert At The International Meeting In Annapolis”, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis Conference, November 27, 2007

“Speech By President Mahmoud Abbas”, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis Conference
November 27, 2007

View Understanding and Speeches in One document (Compiled as part of the materials distributed at the Nov 29^th Capitol Hill event, “Digesting Annapolis: What Happened, What It Means, and What Happens Next?” co-sponsored by Churches for Middle East Peace together with Americans for Peace Now, the American Task Force on Palestine, the Arab American Institute, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Foundation for Middle East Peace and Israel Policy Forum.) 

2. JERUSALEM NEWS: HAR HOMA TESTS ANNAPOLIS; DEBATE CONTINUES ON A CITY ALREADY DIVIDED

The recent news that Israel plans to build new homes in the settlement of Har Homa in East Jerusalem, established in 1997 largely on land owned by Christians living in villages adjacent to Bethlehem, was met with objection by the United States.  Sec. Rice said “this doesn’t help build confidence.”  This issue represents the first on-the-ground challenge to the Annapolis Joint Understanding, how it is interpreted by each side and whether it will in fact be monitored for breaches by both parties.  This case raises the matter of settlement expansion and also of prejudging the final status of Jerusalem prior to negotiations.  Meanwhile, debate continues within Israel about the fate of Jerusalem, with key politicians talking about the need for Jerusalem to be divided, to keep step with the reality on the ground of an already divided city. 

“Ramon: Cede part of Jerusalem to Palestinians”, YNET News, December 9, 2007

“Vice Premier Haim Ramon responded on Sunday to criticism of plans to build homes on occupied land in the Jerusalem area by saying parts of the city must be given to the Palestinians to avoid losing US support…”
Full Article >

“The Har Homa test”, Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz, December 10, 2007

“It is difficult to think of a place more suitable than Har Homa for holding the first test in the spirit of Annapolis. The comparison between Har Homa Crisis No. 2 and the development of Har Homa Crisis No. 1 can teach us whether the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has indeed started a new track or whether all the players are stuck on the old line…” 
Full Article >

“Rice: Har Homa homes harm talks”, Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz, December 10, 2007 

“U.S.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday the plan to build 307 new housing units in Jerusalem's Har Homa neighborhood beyond the Green Line does not help the peace process. ‘I've made clear that we're in a time when the goal is to build maximum confidence between the parties, and this doesn't help to build confidence.’ She spoke after meeting with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the issue. Haaretz reported Thursday that senior American diplomats had told senior Israeli officials that the administration sought clarifications on the plan to build the units at Har Homa. The project was made public at the beginning of the week. Rice said she had brought up the matter with Livni in a phone call and at Brussels. ‘It is even more important now that we are really on the eve of the beginning’ of negotiations, she said…” 

Full Article > 

For background see: “Israel Plans New Homes in East Jerusalem”, Mark Lavie, The Associated Press, December 5, 2007

Full Article >

“Jerusalem Divided”, Tim McGirk, TIME, Nov. 21, 2007 

“…Jerusalem, sacred to three religions, can't be neatly divided. Israeli settlements extend to the east, beyond Arab neighborhoods, while the Old City is a jumble of streets and faiths, attracting visitors from afar…”

Full Article >

3. HUMANITARIAN OUTLOOK: IMPROVED PALESTINIAN ECONOMY GOES HAND IN HAND WITH PEACE

There are a variety of new efforts afoot to help improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, most notably the donors' conference set for Monday, Dec. 17th.  For its part, the United States plans to boost its aid to the Palestinians with a request for 410 million dollars in funding in the FY2008 Emergency Supplemental.  There is real recognition that an improved Palestinian economy is necessary to creating a climate conducive to peacemaking and that efforts to improve the situation on the ground must be pursued at the same time as the political process, if either are to succeed.   

“Investing in Palestinian Economic Reform and Development”, Report for the Pledging Conference Paris, The World Bank, December 17, 2007  

“The course of the Palestinian economy since the Second Intifadah has left per capita GDP in 2006 ($1,130) at 40% less than in 1999, and has altered an already-fragile economy from one driven by investment and private sector productivity, to one sustained by government and private consumption, and donor aid. Reversing this downward cycle requires parallel actions by the Palestinian Authority (PA), Israel and the donors. Reform and development of the Palestinian economy and its institutions must proceed immediately. To succeed, these reforms must be implemented with determination by the PA, underwritten by donors and supported by Israeli actions. In the same vein, Israeli policies that impact the Palestinian economy and Palestinian actions on security to reinforce these policies must proceed in parallel…” 

“Palestinian Authority to request $5.5 bln in aid”, Reuters, December 3, 2007

President Mahmoud Abbas's government will ask donors in Paris this month to provide $5.5 billion in aid to strengthen the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, Palestinian officials said on Sunday...Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will ask donors at the Paris conference, scheduled for December 17, to provide $5.5 billion in aid over three years. The request is based on an economic plan for 2007 to 2010, a senior Palestinian official told Reuters..."

Full Article >  

“U.S.-Palestinian Public-Private Partnership Holds Inaugural Session”, U.S. State Department, Office of the Spokesman, December 4, 2007

“President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice officially launched Monday, December 3, the U.S.-Palestinian Public Private Partnership, a new initiative creating economic opportunity for the Palestinian people, with a special focus on providing opportunities for Palestinian youth.  The new collaboration will encourage additional American private sector support for the Palestinians, and is a critical component in facilitating progress toward a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine live side by side, in peace, security and prosperity.  ‘The peace and security that we seek in the Middle East requires the active engagement of private citizens, civil society groups, and the business community,’ Secretary Rice said Monday. ‘Focusing this partnership on projects that reach young Palestinians directly, that prepare them for responsibilities of citizenship and leadership can have an enormous, positive impact.’...Participants at Monday’s planning session focused on quick-impact projects ranging from youth centers and English language training, to expanded IT infrastructure and call centers. Additionally, attendees discussed holding a business development conference in Bethlehem in the spring to promote investment opportunities in the Palestinian territories…”

Full Press Release > 

"The Closure of the Gaza Strip: The Economic and Humanitarian Consequences", United Nations Office for the

“Since June 2007, in response to the Hamas take over of the Gaza Strip and the on-going and indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel, the Government of Israel (GoI) has increased restrictions on access of goods and people to and from Gaza. These have severe consequences for the day-to-day life of the 1,48 million Gazans…” 

“Without a process, aid to Palestinians will do little”, Mohammed Samhouri, The Daily Star, November 30, 2007

“The Palestinian economy has been in an ever-deepening crisis since the outbreak of the second intifada in 2000, a crisis rooted in and perpetuated by an extremely inauspicious political setting. The record of economic decline is staggering: Domestic output and per capita income have plunged; poverty and unemployment have ballooned; private investment has plummeted; and the Palestinian Authority (PA) has developed a growing recurrent fiscal deficit that, along with worsening of humanitarian conditions, consumes more and more of the incoming foreign aid, leaving little for public investment…Economic decline has undermined the PA's political base and grip on power, and led to widespread lawlessness…The implications, therefore, are clear: Reviving the Palestinian economy and in the process saving the PA from a potential collapse, require an integrated strategic approach incorporating political, financial and institutional action - with work on the political front leading the way…there is an urgent need for the international community to go beyond the mere provision of financial aid and the continued calls for reform in Palestine. Neither development nor reform can be attained or sustained in the absence of a positive political setting. This much we already know from recent past. The need now is for a more active and sustained international engagement to facilitate and advance a serious political process that should lead, in the end, to a lasting negotiated political settlement. Annapolis may or may not provide such an impetus, but only a political process can provide the missing ingredient needed to establish a stable, reformed, and economically viable Palestine.”

Full Article >

4. CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKING: CMEP POST-ANNAPOLIS LETTER & EVANGELICAL LEADERS ON TWO STATES

“Church Coalition Writes President Bush: Annapolis Conference Gives Hope, US Engagement Necessary for Realization of Holy Land Peace”, Churches for Middle East Peace, December 12, 2007

“For Christians, the season of Advent is a time of hope- filled expectation. The November conference in Annapolis has given us renewed hope for a time when Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace and security as two sovereign and viable states.  We are grateful for your leadership and that of Secretary Rice in bringing together many of the key regional players at Annapolis. Our hope for the future is based on the expectation that your Administration's commitments to a strong and continuing US engagement will be fulfilled. That engagement requires not only effective US diplomacy but also the active involvement of the Quartet and the Arab League states. We believe it was important that both Saudi Arabia and Syria were invited to attend Annapolis and ask that you encourage peacemaking between Israel and Syria as well. We are heartened by the decision to proceed simultaneously on both the Road Map requirements on the ground and negotiations on final status issues, such as Jerusalem, borders, refugees, settlements, water and security. We welcome your commitment to support the work of President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert with the resources and resolve of the American government…” 

Full Letter >

“Evangelical Leaders Reiterate Call for Two-State Solution for Israel and Palestine”, David Neff, Christianity Today, November 30, 2007 

“As evangelical Christians committed to the full authority of the Scriptures, we feel compelled to make a statement together at this historic moment in the life of the Holy Land.   The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is near a momentous turning point. The strife has continued—sometimes simmering, sometimes exploding in terrible conflict—for decades.  In the context of our ongoing support for the security of Israel, we believe that unless the situation between Israel and Palestine improves quickly, the consequences will be devastating…Likewise, the threat to America's national security is greater. Because so many of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims see America through the prism of Israel-Palestine, the longer the current situation continues, the more likely it is that anti-American attitudes, policies, and terrorist activities will increase dramatically among Muslims worldwide…The Bible clearly teaches that God longs for justice and peace for all people. We believe that the principles about justice taught so powerfully by the Hebrew prophets apply to all nations, including the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians. Therefore we are compelled to work for a fair, negotiated solution for both Israelis and Palestinians. We resolve to work diligently for a secure, enduring peace and a flourishing economy for the democratic State of Israel. We also resolve to work for a viable permanent, democratic Palestinian State with a flourishing economy that offers economic opportunity to all its people. We believe that the way forward is for the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a fair, two-state solution…”

Full Statement > 

5. O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM: NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE FEATURES CITY OF JESUS’ BIRTH

“Bethlehem 2007 A.D.”, Michael Finkel, National Geographic, December 2007 issue

“The birthplace of Jesus is today one of the most contentious places on Earth. Israelis fear Bethlehem's radicalized residents, who seethe at the concrete wall that surrounds them…”

Full Text >

Photo Gallery >

Video >

6. INTERRELIGIOUS HOLY LAND LEADERS: SUPPORT PEACE EFFORTS, SHOULD PLAY ROLE IN NEGOTIATIONS

“Involve faith communities in these talks and future ones”, By Tony Hall, Theodore McCarrick and Trond Bakkevig, Baltimore Sun, November 25, 2007

“As the State Department finalizes the agenda for the Middle East summit in Annapolis, it should consider including some last-minute participants who have the clout to build authentic support for the peace process. We suggest that they include the region's most senior Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders in these and all future talks. These courageous leaders have joined together to form a Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land with the express purpose of removing religion from the conflict and putting it into the peace process. Their presence at the negotiations could demonstrate profoundly and powerfully that productive dialogue is achievable, that peace is possible and that religions can serve as a force for peace and mutual understanding. We have been working with this council, composed of the chief rabbis of Israel, the Catholic and Greek patriarchs and Anglican and Lutheran bishops of the Holy Land, and top Muslim leaders of the Palestinian areas, including the minister for religious affairs in the Palestinian government and the supreme judge of the Sharia Courts. These leaders have achieved a unity of purpose for peace that is a first in the history of the Abrahamic faiths. They have declared together publicly that it is their responsibility to lead their communities to peaceful co-existence…”

Full Article >

“Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land Communiqué”, Public Statement from the Heads of Communities and Institutions of the three monotheistic Religions in the Holy Land, November 7, 2007  

“…We, believers from three religions, have been placed in this land, Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is our responsibility to find the right way to live together in peace rather than to fight and kill one other. Palestinians yearn for the end to occupation and for what they see as their inalienable rights. Israelis long for the day when they can live in personal and national security. Together we must find ways of reaching these goals.  Towards these ends we are actively working to… Establish “hot line” procedures of rapid communication among ourselves in order to address and advise government officials regarding issues of protection of and access to Holy Sites before such issues become cause for conflict…Together reflect on the future of Jerusalem, support the designation of the Old City of Jerusalem as a World Heritage Site, work to secure open access to the Old City for all communities, and seek a common vision for this city which all of us regard as holy…” 

View the full communique and list of Jewish, Christian and Muslim members >

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