The Reagan Plan
(September 1, 1982)
Unknown to Israel, the Reagan administration was preparing a new diplomatic initiative for the Middle East, designed to renew the peace process, deal with the Palestinian issue, improve Israel-Egypt relations and provide impetus for Jordan to join the peace process. It was also aimed at pleasing those Arab states who had accepted P. L. 0. evacuees from Beirut and signaling them that the U.S. was not satisfied solely with their departure from Beirut, but was seeking an overall solution. Israel alone was not involved in the new American thinking, and learned of the plan when Ambassador Lewis showed it to Prime Minister Begin who was vacationing in Nahariya. Begin's reaction was: "It is the saddest day of my life" He was determined to reject the plan as not being even a basis for negotiations. Text of the Reagan address follows:
Today has been a day that should make all of us proud. It marked the end of the successful evacuation of the P.L.O. from Beirut, Lebanon. This peaceful step could never have been taken without the good offices of the United States and, especially, the truly heroic work of a great American diplomat, Philip Habib. Thanks to his efforts I am happy to announce that the U.S. Marine contingent helping to supervise the evacuation has accomplished its mission.
Our young men should be out of Lebanon within two weeks. They, too, have served the cause of peace with distinction and we can all be very proud of them.
But the situation in Lebanon is only part of the overall problem of the conflict in the Middle East. So, over the past two weeks, while events in Beirut dominated the front page, America was engaged in a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to lay the groundwork for a broader peace in the region.
For once, there were no premature leaks as U.S. diplomatic missions traveled to Mid-East capitals and I met here at home with a wide range of experts to map out an American peace initiative for the long-suffering peoples of the Middle East, Arab and Israeli alike.
It seemed to me that, with the agreement in Lebanon, we had an opportunity for a more far-reaching peace effort in the region - and I was determined to seize that moment. In the words of the scripture, the time had come to "follow after the things which make for peace."
Tonight, I want to report to you on the steps we have taken, and the prospects they can open up for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
America has long been committed to bringing peace to this troubled region. For more than a generation, successive U.S. administrations have endeavoured to develop a fair and workable process that could lead to a true and lasting Arab-Israeli peace. Our involvement in the search for Mid-East peace is not a matter of preference; it is a moral imperative. The- strategic importance of the region to the U.S. is well known.
But our policy is motivated by more than strategic interests. We also have an irreversible commitment to the survival and territorial integrity of friendly states. Nor can we ignore the fact that the wellbeing of much of the world's economy is tied to stability in the strife-torn Middle East. Finally, our traditional humanitarian concerns dictate a continuing effort to peacefully resolve conflicts.
When our administration assumed office in January 1981, 1 decided that the general framework for our Middle East policy should follow the broad guidelines laid down by my predecessors.
There were two basic issues we had to address: First, there was the strategic threat Lebanese to rebuild their war-torn country. We owe it to ourselves and to posterity, to move quickly, to build upon this achievement. A stable and revived Lebanon is essential to all our hopes for peace in the region. The people of Lebanon deserve the best efforts of the international community to turn the nightmares of the past several years into a new dawn of hope.
But the opportunities for peace in the Middle East do not begin and end in Lebanon. As we help Lebanon rebuild, we must also move to resolve the root causes of conflict between the Arabs and Israelis.
This war in Lebanon has demonstrated many things, but two consequences are key to the peace process:
First, the military losses of the P.L.O. have not diminished the yearning of the Palestinian people for a just solution of their claims; and second, while Israel's military success in Lebanon have demonstrated that its armed forces are second to none in the region, they alone cannot bring just and lasting peace to Israel and her neighbours.
The question now is how to reconcile Israel's legitimate security concerns with the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. And that answer can only come at the negotiating table. Each party must recognize that the outcome must be acceptable to all and that true peace will require compromises by all.
So, tonight, I am calling for a fresh start. This is the moment for all those directly concerned to get involved in - or lend their support to - a workable basis for peace. The Camp David agreement remains the foundation of our policy. Its language provides all parties with the leeway they need for successful negotiations.
I call on Israel to make clear that the security for which she yearns can only be achieved through genuine peace, a peace requiring magnanimity, vision and courage.
I call on the Palestinian people to recognize that their own political aspirations are inextricably bound to recognition of Israel's right to a secure future.
And I call on the Arab states to accept the reality of Israel -- and the reality that peace and justice are to be gained only through hard, fair, direct negotiations.
In making these calls upon others, I recognize that the United States has a special responsibility. No other nation is in a position to deal with the key parties to the conflict on the basis of trust and reliability.
The time has come for a new realism on the part of all the peoples of the Middle East. The State of Israel is an accomplished fact; it deserves unchallenged legitimacy within the community of nations. But Israel's legitimacy has thus far been recognized by too few countries, and has been denied by every Arab state except Egypt. Israel exists; it has a right to exist in peace behind secure and defensible borders, and it has a right to demand of its neighbours that they recognize those facts.
I have personally followed and supported Israel's heroic struggle for survival, ever since the founding of the State of Israel 34 years ago. In the pre-1967 borders Israel was barely 10 miles wide at its narrowest point. The bulk of Israel's population lived within artillery range of hostile Arab armies. I am not about to ask Israel to live that way again.
The war in Lebanon has demonstrated another reality in the region. The departure of the Palestinians from Beirut dramatizes more than ever the homelessness of the Palestinian people. Palestinians feel strongly that their cause is more than a question of refugees. I agree.
The Camp David agreement recognized that fact when it spoke of "the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and their just requirements." For peace to endure, it must involve all those who have been most deeply affected by the conflict. Only through broader participation in the peace process - most immediately by Jordan and by the Palestinians - will Israel be able to rest confident in the knowledge that its security and integrity will be respected by its neighbours. Only through the process of negotiation can all the nations of the Middle East achieve a secure peace.
These, then, are our general goals. What are the specific new American positions and why are we taking them?
In the Camp David talks thus far, both Israel and Egypt have felt free to express openly their views as to what the outcome should be. Understandably, their views have differed on many points.
The United States has thus far sought to play the role of mediator; we have avoided public comment on the key issues. We have always recognized - and continue to recognize - that only the voluntary agreement of those parties most directly involved in the conflict can provide an enduring solution. But it has become evident to me that some clearer sense of America's position on the key issues is necessary to encourage wider support for the peace process.
First, as outlined in the Camp David accords, there must be a period of time during which the Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza will have full autonomy over their ' r own affairs. Due consideration must be given to the principle of self-government by the inhabitants of the territories and to the legitimate security concerns of the parties involved.
The purpose of the five-year period of transition which would begin after free elections for a self-governing Palestinian authority is to prove to the Palestinians that they can run their own affairs, and that such Palestinian autonomy poses no threat to Israel's security.
The United States will not support the use of any additional land for the purpose of settlements during the transition period. Indeed, the immediate adoption of a settlement freeze by Israel, more than any other action, could create the confidence needed for wider participation in these talks. Further settlement activity is in no way necessary for the security of Israel and only diminishes the confidence of the Arabs and a final outcome can be freely and fairly negotiated.
I want to make the American position clearly understood: the purpose of this transition period is the peaceful and orderly transfer of domestic authority from Israel to the Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza. At the same time, such a transfer must not interfere with Israel's security requirements.
Beyond the transition period, as we look to the future of the West Bank and Gaza, it is clear to me that peace cannot be achieved by the formation of an independent Palestinian state in those territories. Nor is it achievable on the basis of Israeli sovereignty or permanent control over the West Bank and Gaza.
So the United States will not support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, and we will not support annexation or permanent control by Israel.
There is, however, another way to peace. The final status of these lands must, of course, be reached through the give-and-take of negotiations; but it is the firm view of the United States that self-government by the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza in association with Jordan offers the best chance for a durable, just and lasting peace.
We base our approach squarely on the principle that the Arab-Israeli conflict should be resolved through the negotiations involving an exchange of territory for peace. This exchange is enshrined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which is, in turn, incorporated in all its parts in the Camp David agreements. U.N. Resolution 242 remains wholly valid as the foundation-stone of America's Middle East peace effort.
It is the United States' position that - in return for peace - the withdrawal provision of Resolution 242 applies to all fronts, including the West Bank and Gaza.
When the border is negotiated between Jordan and Israel, our view on the extent to which Israel should be asked to give up territory will be heavily affected by the extent of true peace and normalization and the security arrangements offered in return.
Finally, we remain convinced that Jerusalem must remain undivided, but its final status should be decided through negotiations.
In the course of the negotiations to come, the United States will support positions that seem to us fair and reasonable compromises and likely to promote a sound agreement. We will also put forward our own detailed proposals when we believe they can be helpful. And, make no mistake, the United States will oppose any proposal -from any party and at any point in the negotiating process - that threatens the security of Israel. America's commitment to the security of Israel is ironclad. And I might add, so is mine.
During the past few days, our ambassadors in Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have presented to their host countries the proposal in full detail that I have outlined here tonight.
I am convinced that these proposals can bring justice, bring security and bring durability to an Arab-Israeli peace.
The United States will stand by these principles with total dedication. They are fully consistent with Israel's security requirements and the aspirations of the Palestinians. We will work hard to broaden participation at the peace table as envisaged by the Camp David Accords. And I fervently hope that the Palestinians and Jordan, with the support of their Arab colleagues, will accept this opportunity.
Tragic turmoil in the Middle East runs back to the dawn of history. In our modern day, conflict after conflict has taken its brutal toll there. In an age of nuclear challenge and economic interdependence, such conflicts are a threat to all the people of the world, not just the Middle East itself. It is time for us all - in the Middle East and around the world -to call a halt to conflict, hatred and prejudice; it is time for us all to launch a common effort for reconstruction, peace and progress,
It has often been said - and regrettably too often been true - that the story of the search for peace and justice in the Middle East is a tragedy of opportunities missed.
In the aftermath of the settlement in Lebanon we now face an opportunity for a broader peace. This time we must not let it slip from our grasp. We must look beyond the difficulties and obstacles of the present and move with fairness and resolve toward a brighter future. We owe it to ourselves - and to posterity - to do no less. For if we miss this chance to make a fresh start, we may look back on this moment from some later vantage point and realize how much that failure cost us all.
These, then, are the principles upon which American policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict will be based. I have made a personal commitment to see that they endure and, God willing, that they will come to be seen by all reasonable, compassionate people as fair, achievable and in the interests of all who wish to see peace in the Middle East.
Tonight, on the eve of what can be the dawning of new hope for the people of the troubled Middle East - and for all the world's people who dream of a just and peaceful future - I ask you, my fellow Americans, for your support and your prayers in this great undertaking.
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Baker peace plan
In a key speech delivered in May 1989 to AIPAC, US Secretary of State James Baker III placed the blame on Israel for the Arab-Israel conflict, and seemed to echo Arab propaganda, urging Israeli leaders to abandon the "unrealistic vision of a Greater Israel" that includes the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He then laid out the American position on what is now called the Arab-Israeli peace process. He urged self-government for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in a manner acceptable to Palestinians, Israel, and Jordan, a formula designed to provide ample scope for Palestinians to achieve their full political rights while also providing ample protection for Israel's security. This utopian vision has failed to materialize.
Following up on Israel's Four Point Plan of May 1989 in September 1989, Egypt and Israel discussed several peace proposals that foundered over the issue of participation by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). At that time, it was the firm policy of Israel not to deal with the PLO, believing that 1988 PLO statements about a change of policy toward Israel were not sincere. In an attempt to help break the deadlock, the US became more actively involved.
On November 1, 1989, US Secretary of State Baker formally submitted his Five-Point Election Plan to Israel and Egypt, although they had reviewed drafts beforehand. It was based on Israel's Four Point Plan of May 1989 and did not go into detail. It was intended as a framework under which Egypt would facilitate bringing Palestinian Arabs (but not the PLO) into a process of discussion about elections to establish proper representation for the Palestinians, and potentially other issues.
Israel agreed in principle in November but attached two reservations: that the PLO not be involved in the naming of Palestinian delegates and that the discussions be limited to preparations for the elections. The Israel National Unity government fell in March 1990 in a vote of no confidence precipitated by disagreement over the government's response to the Baker initiative. Prime Minister Shamir formed a new government in June 1990 and rejected the Baker Plan. Baker attempted to work with Shamir who continued to reject Baker's five point plan, even after most of the Israeli demands had been accepted. Shamir's government took the view that the plan was too risky and the US was willing to sacrifice Israel and the Jewish people for their own interests. Frustrated by this process, Baker sarcastically provided the White House telephone number suggesting that Shamir call when he was "serious about peace".
Baker's reputation was as a deal maker, and an artful mediator. However, he is known as more pro-Arab than pro-Israel and has been quoted as making anti-Semitic remarks
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1967to1991_baker_plan_1989.php
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Five-Point Election Plan of Secretary of State Baker
(November 1, 1989)
On 15 September, Egypt's ambassador to Israel formally submitted to the Israel Government Mubarak's Ten-Point Plan. It was discussed in the cabinet, which decided to send Defense Minister Rabin to Cairo for talks with President Mubarak. This took place on 18 September. Mr. Mubarak said he had Arafat's approval for his elections plan. Israel feared that Egypt was trying to introduce the PLO into the peace process through the back door. In separate meetings with President Bush in New York (25 September), Vice Premier Peres urged the U.S. to take a more active role in the process. Mr. Arens suggested a Shamir-Mubarak meeting. On 26 September, Prime Minister Shamir said that the Egyptian proposal was still unacceptable to Israel. Secretary of State Baker then embarked on an effort to break the deadlock. While supporting the Egyptian initiative, Mr. Baker sought to narrow the differences between Israel and Egypt in a positive spirit. On 6 October, the Israel cabinet once again rejected the Egyptian plan by a vote of 6 in favour (Labour) and 6 against (Likud). The U.S. expressed its disappointment but Mr. Baker began to draw up his own plan for the elections. Reports of such a plan started circulating on 10 October. Both Israel and the PLO were opposed to outside intervention. The U.S. threatened that it would disengage from the process if there would be no compromise. Israel was shown the document in late October and agreed to consider it in principle, while expressing reservations on two points. Israel wanted to ensure that the PLO will not be part of the process in any way and that at the initial stage, the final resolution of the Palestinian issue not be discussed. Text of the Baker plan follows:
1. The United States understands that (because) Egypt and Israel have been working hard (on the peace process) [and that] there is [now] agreement that an Israeli delegation will conduct a dialogue with a Palestinian delegation in Cairo.
2. The United States understands that Egypt cannot substitute (itself) for the Palestinians [in that dialogue] and [that] Egypt will consult with the Palestinians on all aspects of that dialogue. Egypt will also consult with Israel and the United States.
3. The United States understands that Israel will attend the dialogue (only) after a satisfactory list of Palestinians has been worked out. Israel will also consult with Egypt and the United States [on this matter.]
4. The United States understands that the government of Israel will come to the dialogue on the basis of the Israeli government's May 14 initiative.
The United States further understands that (the Palestinians will come to the dialogue prepared to discuss) elections and negotiations [will be] in accordance with the Israeli initiative. The United States understands, therefore, that the Palestinians will be free to raise issues that relate to their opinion on how to make elections and negotiations succeed.
5. In order to facilitate the process, the United States proposes that the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt and the United States meet in Washington within two weeks.
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Shultz Plan
In the 1980s, US policy in the Middle East was cautious. Failure in Lebanon during the period of the Israeli operations there starting in 1982, led to a policy of staying out of the area unless and until the local parties to the conflict were ready to negotiate. Negative experiences with the Marines in Lebanon and with the peace process in particular, including the failure of the 1982 Reagan Plan made the White House consider the area very unpromising. And US efforts to bring the PLO into a diplomatic process, directly or through Jordan, were frustrated by the PLO's continued policy of terrorism and its policy that the only end-result that they would accept was the destruction of Israel. In October 1987, Secretary of State Shultz said:
The Palestinians must be involved in the peace process if it is to mean anything. There isn't any question about that. [But] it's also true there isn't a role in the peace process for people whose tactics are violent and refuse to renounce violence, who refuse to recognize that Israel is there as a state[. Instead they must be] ready to talk and try to make peace.
The outbreak of Arab violence during the first intifada in December of 1987 brought new urgency to US efforts to broker some kind of solution. To respond to the situation and show US engagement, Shultz produced a new plan, presented in January 1988, which combined elements of the Camp David accords, the Reagan plan, King Hussein's proposals, and Israeli Foreign Minister Peres' ideas for an international conference. Between February and June 1988, Shultz used the Kissinger technique of "shuttle diplomacy" to promote his plan by travelling three times to the Middle East in the five months.
The basic elements of the Shultz plan called for:
Begin negotiations hosted by the five permanent UN Security Council members, attended by all parties accepting UN Resolutions 242 and 338 and renouncing violence and terrorism.
The Palestinians would be represented by a joint Jordan-Palestinian delegation who would negotiate the terms of a three-year transitional period for the territories
The international meetings would facilitate separate bi-lateral negotiations for a final settlement, but have no veto or enforcement power.
Egypt, Jordan, and Foreign Minister Peres supported the plan. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir questioned the timetable, international forum, and territory-for-peace formula. the PLO and Syria were very critical and West Bank/Gaza Palestinians refused to meet with Shultz, apparently on orders from the PLO. Shultz was able to maintain that no party had said "no" to his proposal but, by the same token, none took it up enthusiastically.
The election of George H.W. Bush in November 1988 was the end of the Reagan Administration and any remaining momentum on the Schultz Plan was lost. But, by stating the conditions under which the US would begin to deal directly with the PLO, Schultz had caused a debate within the PLO. In November 1988 the PLO announced publically (the Algiers Declaration) that they would take the minimal steps needed to fulfill US preconditions for holding meetings with it. Arafat finally recognized the importance of the US as a regional power broker, but he also overestimated the ability of the US to bring Israel to the table to impose a settlement
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1967to1991_shultz_plan.php
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An American View
Address By Secretary of state William Rogers, 'A Lasting Peace in the Middle East: An American View’
9 December 1969
In an effort to broaden the scope of discussion we have recently resumed four-power negotiations at the United Nations. Let me outline our policy on various elements of the Security Council resolution. The basic and related issues might be described as peace, security, withdrawal, and territory.
PEACE BETWEEN THE PARTIES The resolution of the Security Council makes clear that the goal is the establishment of a state of peace between the parties instead of the state of belligerency which has characterized relations for over 20 years. We believe the conditions and obligations of peace must be defined in specific terms. For example, navigation rights in the Suez Canal and in the Straits of Tiran should be spelled out. Respect for sovereignty and obligations of the parties to each other must be made specific. But peace, of course, involves much more than this. It is also a matter of the attitudes and intentions of the parties. Are they ready to coexist with one another? Can a live-and-let-live attitude replace suspicion, mistrust, and hate? A peace agreement between the parties must be based on clear and stated intentions and a willingness to bring about basic changes in the attitudes and conditions which are characteristic of the Middle East today.
SECURITY A lasting peace must be sustained by a sense of security on both sides. To this end, as envisaged in the Security Council resolution, there should be demilitarized zones and related security arrangements more reliable than those which existed in the area in the past. The parties themselves, with Ambassador Jarring's help, are in the best position to work out the nature and the details of such security arrangements. It is, after all, their interests which are at stake and their territory which is involved. They must live with the results.
WITHDRAWAL AND TERRITORY The Security Council resolution endorses the principle of the nonacquisition of territory by war and calls for withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the 1967 war. We support this part of the resolution, including withdrawal, just as we do its other elements. The boundaries from which the 1967 war began were established in the 1949 armistice agreements and have defined the areas of national jurisdiction in the Middle East for 20 years. These boundaries were armistice lines, not final political borders. The rights, claims, and positions of the parties in an ultimate peaceful settlement were reserved by the armistice agreements. The Security Council resolution neither endorses nor precludes these armistice lines as the definitive political boundaries. However, it calls for withdrawal from occupied territories, the nonacquisition of territory by war, and the establishment of secure and recognized boundaries. We believe that while recognized political boundaries must be established, and agreed upon by the parties, any changes in the preexisting lines should not reflect the weight of conquest and should be confined to insubstantial alterations required for mutual security. We do not support expansionism. We believe troops must be withdrawn as the resolution provides. We support Israel's security and the security of the Arab states as well. We are for a lasting peace that requires security for both.
ISSUES OF REFUGEES AND JERUSALEM By emphasizing the key issues of peace, security, withdrawal, and territory, I do not want to leave the impression that other issues are not equally important. Two in particular deserve special mention: the questions of refugees and of Jerusalem. There can be no lasting peace without a just settlement of the problem of those Palestinians whom the wars of 1948 and 1967 have made homeless. This human dimension of the Arab-Israeli conflict has been of special concern to the United States for over 20 years. During this period the United States has contributed about $500 million for the support and education of the Palestine refugees. We are prepared to contribute generously along with others to solve this problem. We believe its just settlement must take into account the desires and aspirations of the refugees and the legitimate concerns of the governments in the area. The problem posed by the refugees will become increasingly serious if their future is not resolved. There is a new consciousness among the young Palestinians who have grown up since 1948 which needs to be channelled away from bitterness and frustration toward hope and justice. The question of the future status of Jerusalem, because it touches deep emotional, historical, and religious wellsprings, is particularly complicated. We have made clear repeatedly in the past two and a half years that we cannot accept unilateral actions by any party to the final statues of the city. We believe its statues can be determined only through the agreement of the parties concerned, which in practical terms means primarily the Governments of Israel and Jordan, taking into account the interests of other countries in the area and the international community. We do, however, support certain principles which we believe would provide an equitable framework for a Jerusalem settlement. Specifically, we believe Jerusalem should be a unified city within which there would no longer be restrictions on the movement of persons and goods. There should be open access to the unified city for persons of all faiths and nationalities. Arrangements for the administration of the unified city should take into account the interests of all its inhabitants and of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities. And there should be roles for both Israel and Jordan in the civic, economic, and religious life of the city. It is our hope that agreement on the key issues of peace, security, withdrawal and territory, will create a climate in which these questions of refugees and of Jerusalem, as well as other aspects of the conflict, can be resolved as part of the overall settlement.
DSB, vol. LXII, no. 1593, 4 January 1970 Source: Fraser, T. G. (ed), 1980. The Middle East, 1914-1979, Edward Arnold, London.