Revealing Book By Uri Savir Gives Clues To Possible Middle East Outcomes

Cumbey Blogspot (Link) - Constance Cumbey (June 27, 2009)

You were wondering how things might come about. A new widely touted book by former Israeli Knesset member Uri Savir might give us some important clues. It is highly praised by most, if not all of those involved in the Middle East Peace Plan process. Those endorsing include Javier Solana, , Dennis Ross and others.

The book, PEACE FIRST: A NEW MODEL TO END WAR proposes making Jerusalem "the international peace capital" of the world and dividing the city three ways: between Jewish interests, between Palestinian neighorhoods and Islamic interests, and the third part to the international community.

"Interreligious dialogue" of the highest syncretistic nature is also strongly recommended. The "peace plan" itself calls for "global" action using networked cities and mayors as both conciliatory and redistributive centers more in touch with their local populations.

The very new book, my copy of which arrived from Amazon only yesterday, has forewords by Shimon Peres and Dennis Ross. Shimon Peres signed the original Treaty of Association with Javier Solana binding European and Israeli interests. A picture of the November 20, 1995 signing is above. Strongly worded endorsements of the book include:

• Abu Ala (Ahmed Qurei) - Former Prime Minister of Palestinian Authority
• Ambassador Dennis Ross
• Dr. Marwin Muasher - Sr. Vice President World Bank
• Martin Indyk - The Brookings Institution
• Javier Solana - High Representative for CFSP of EU and Secretary General of both Council of Ministers of the European Union and the Western European Union
• Terje R d-Larsen, President, International Peace Institute
• Miguel Moratinos, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Spain
• Andre Azoulay, Counselor to the King of Morocco
• Toni G. Verstandig, Senor Policy Advisor, Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, and Executive Director, Aspen Institute's Middle East Strategy Group
• Quincy Jones, Musician / producer of WE ARE THE WORLD
• Kathleen Turner, Actress
• Sharon Stone, Actress
• Madeline K. Albright, former United States Secretary of State (Clinton Administration)
• Shimon Peres, President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• FW DeKlerk, Former President of South Africa
• Dan Rather
• James Wolfensohn, Former President of World Bank

Of particular interest to me, the Javier Solana endorsement reads:

"A thoughtful examination of the challenge of peacemaking in a world where shifting parameters -- the rise of nonstate actors, the increase in international terrorism, the advance of military technology, the growing rift between the Western and Islamic societies, the rise of extremism -- have created a new strategic paradigm. A serious and insightful case for a new approach to conflict resolution."

Of Uri Savir, it is said that he founded the Shimon Peres Center for Peace in 1996 and then in 2001 the Glocal Foundation, now an important partnership component of the Alliance of Civilizations which seeks unabashedly under the sponsorship of the United Nations to regulate religious teaching -- worldwide. The public statements by Alliance spokespersons Karen Armstrong, Federico Mayor, John Esposito, and Desmond Tuto perhaps best exemplify the extreme anger against religious fundamentalism, i.e. a belief that one's religion is true, of the Alliance. See Rich Peterson's excellently done on line video for illustrations of this.

Truly we live in sobering times. Stay tuned!

Constance †

Dividing Israel ~ Solana