Kudo of the Week: The Courage to Turn the Course in the Middle East
It would be hard for even the most Panlgossian among us not to be a little skeptical about the prospects of long-term stability and peace between Israel and the Palestinian factions. But this week’s extraordinary gathering of Middle East powers in Annapolis gave a glimmer of hope. What was most impressive about it was the relationship of mutual respect that seems to have developed between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The two leaders have been meeting secretly, behind the scenes for a while now. You can tell they have a genuine rapport. Both tread on dangerous ground, and the prospect of alienating their own constituencies is real. There is always risk in turning away from conventional wisdom and charting a new direction. In that they follow in the courageous footsteps of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, who also took a giant leap over past battles to make a better future. That, too, culminated in an historic gathering in the United States, at Camp David in 1978. America, at its best, has been a shining force for peace in the world. It will be again.
President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also served in a noble tradition as peacemakers as only real leaders can. They deserve the praise they are receiving from many political and geographic quarters.
There is much to be encouraged about by those who gathered at Annapolis from distant and diverse lands and much to be hopeful about when men and women face each other with weapons of understanding, good will and a desire to make peace.