WASHINGTON — With attention focused on the Saudi Arabian peace initiative, American Jewish groups are trying to determine if it’s in Israel’s best interest — and are trying to keep international expectations in check.
Most Jewish groups are saying they need more details before determining whether Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah’s outline is a window of opportunity or a nonstarter.
Those specifics won’t come out before an Arab League summit in Beirut in late March — and Saudi Arabia has threatened not to present its plan at the summit unless Israel allows Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to attend.
Until then, Jewish groups are acting cautiously — and sending a message to the Bush administration to take its time before the administration makes a move.
“We are urging the administration to go slow and carefully assess the details,” said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee.
The administration is under growing pressure to back the Saudi proposal. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is calling on Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to meet in Sharm el-Sheik to discuss the Saudi proposal. Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to hear a great deal about the plan during his visit to the Middle East this week.
A week loaded with casualties makes the prospects of any peace initiative all the more enticing — or, some would say, more implausible.
“It’s hard to lobby for something that doesn’t really exist on paper,” said Lewis Roth, assistant executive director of Americans for Peace Now, which praises the idea that a leading Arab state supports the peace process.
In principle, the initiative calls for normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world, if Israel returns to the borders it had before the 1967 Six-Day War.
Some see that idea as a positive step from one of the most influential Arab states, and as a basis for discussion. Others see it as a step backward from long-standing U.N. Security Council resolutions, which call for Israel to withdraw to secure and recognized borders, but not necessarily for complete withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights.
In addition, the initiative is mum on several key issues, including the “right of return” that Palestinian refugees demand to their former homes inside Israel.
Some Jewish groups are sending editorials and background information to their members, informing them of the complex issues involved in the initiative. Specifically, they are highlighting the perceived faults.
In addition, they are expressing wariness about Saudi Arabia’s motives. Historically, Saudi Arabia has hindered the peace process, and many Jewish leaders openly question whether the Saudis’ real goal now is to redeem the country’s image in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which were carried out primarily by Saudis.
Some speculate that the Saudis want to push Israel into a corner by offering a deal it can’t accept, thus painting Israel as an obstructionist.
But other Jewish groups say that, whatever Saudi Arabia’s motives, the initiative could be a good move.
“There’s no reason to stop” the proposal’s momentum, said Martin Raffel, associate executive vice chairman of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “Let’s engage the Saudis and see what role they are going to take.”
Stephen Cohen, national scholar for the Israel Policy Forum, said the details are not as important as the overall message, which is that Arab states are seeking an end to the conflict that includes recognition of Israel.
“It’s defining the Arab vision of peace, not pre-empting the negotiating process,” he said.
Morton Klein, national director of the Zionist Organization of America, said he is starting to contact Israeli ministers, explaining why he believes the Saudi initiative would put Israel in a worse position than U.N. resolutions would.