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efits of just an opening wedge-a
small beginning that could eventual–
ly lead
~o
full autonomy both on the
West Bank and on the Gaza Strip.. Jt
is natural for human beings to want
it all now, no matter how impractical
such impatience might be in the step–
by-step world of international diplo–
macy.
Other dangers are ever present.
The Iranian revolution has at least
temporarily strengthened the hand of
the PLO. The more militant ele–
ments of the PLO will apparently
continue to completely overshadow
tbe more responsible Palestinians
who would recognize and respect the
basic right of -Israel to exist.
In short there was every good rea–
son for both Israel and Egypt to over–
come all obstacles, cometo terms and
send a happy Jimmy Carter borne
with an agreement practically in bis
pocket. This they did!
But it took the exhausting ordeal
of around-the-clock deliberations
and the tireless efforts of Carter,
Sadat and Begin to close tbe gap. Of
course, they all possessed tbe sure
knowledge that if they failed to seize
the opportunity of the moment, ex–
ternal pressures from neighboring
nations would make the going much
harder the next time around.
They knew they could not afford
the luxury of quitting. They knew
they had to stubbomly persevere!
Botb Egypt and Israel remembered
that they had come a long way since
their troops were apparently
ho~
lessly tangled around the Suez Canal
in the wake of the Yom Kippur
War.
Out of this diplomatic powder keg
emerged the unprecedented tech–
nique of " shuttle diplomacy." For–
mer Secretary of State Henry Kissin–
ger would seek to narrow the gap in
negotiations just · a little more with
each trip. Weeks went by with little
apparent success. And Kissinger was
being increasingly assailed as an em–
issary of evil by well-meaning, but
deceived, street demonstrators. More
and more it began to appear as if the
talks might suddenly abort and
gravely threaten
tb~
already precar–
ious cease-fire.
Being human, Kissinger himself
must bave been sorely tempted to
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979
throw in the towel. But good sense
finally prevailed and tbe break–
througb suddenly
r
carne amid the
gloomiest of dire predictions. The
parties bad persevered!
The subsequent negotiations be–
tween Israel and Syria over the sta–
tus of the Golan Heights were no
easier. The dismal prospectof failure
reared its ugly head on more than
one occasion. At one point in the
talks it appeared that Kissinger
would be obliged to announce the
suspension of negotiations. lndeed, a
hall was rented at Lod Airport for
that very purpose.
Time and time again former Sec–
retary Kissinger was tempted to
~~
The road to peace in the
Middle East will not be
an easy one. Even with
the "magic" solution to
the Israeli-Egyptian
deadlock, other key
nations still remain to be
brought into the peace
negotiations.
' '
abandon ship. But he pressed on, and
in the end he persevered. Wben the
negotiations were favorably termi–
nated, Golda Meir was prompted to
say: "Today aU our efforts that
seemed impossible are crowned with
success. From today on, 1 hope that
quiet will prevail on tbe northern
borders, a day when mothers and
children both in Syria and Israel will
be
able to go to sleep quietly."
History then repeated itself at
Camp David. At one point in the
negotiations there, President Sadat
was prepared to abandon further dis–
cussions. Obtaining vital concessions
from Mr. Begin took patient and
skillful negotiating. Jimmy Carter
must
be
given every credit for bis
persistence! lndeed it was he wbo had
boldly brought the two Mideast lead-
ers together to help them construct a
viable framework for peace.
Then, in the aftermath of Camp
David, the peacemaking process be–
gan to flag. Again the American
President, almost in the role of a sec–
retary of state, picked up the baton
and even humbled himself by going
directly to the key countries. He lent
. the prestige of the U.S. presidency to
tbe arduous negotiations--even in–
dulging bimself in a miniversion of
"sbuttle diplomacy."
And even in the wake of apparent
success, all the parties affected are
going to bave to keep on trying–
perhaps at times wben damage to
dignity and the prestige of one's
country would normally -dictate an
automatic termination to the nego–
tiating process. The stakes are too
high in this nuclear age!
W
e simply
cannot afford another major Mideast
war.
One of the-seven laws of success is
perseverance! As Mr. Herbert Arm–
strong has written: "Nine in ten, at
least once or twice in a Iifetime, come
to the place-where they appear to be
totally defeated! All is lost-appar–
ently, that is. They give up and quit,
when just a little more determined
hanging on, just a little more faith
and perseverance- just a little more
stick-to-it-iveness would have turned
apparent certain failure into glorious
success.''
Nations are not exempt from
obeying this vitallaw of success. As
1
have written before, the road to
peace in the Middle East will not be
an easy one. Even with the "magic"
solution to the Israeli-Egyptian dead–
lock, other key nations still remain to
be
brought into the peace negotia–
tions. And, of course, Old Jerusalem
will sooner orlater have to enter into
future talks. Control of the sacred
city is the most emotional and poten–
tially explosive issue in Palestine.
These knotty problems are going
to try the patience of Middle Eastern
and Western statesrrien alike. These
issues will
not
conveniently disap–
pear. However, they will subside in
the face of leaders who are not only
totally committed to peace, but who
are willing to consistently persist and
persevere far beyond what would
normally be required.
o
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