Camp David Fairy Tale

One of the myths in the West about Camp David has been the idea that if only King Hussein would ”step forward" as Sadat did, he could get his land back, too. It's extraordinary that so many supposedly informed people keep saying this. For example, as recently as last November, President Reagan said: "We must involve other Arab states in the peace process—others that will do, one day, what Egypt did." What Egypt did, of course, was sign a peace treaty with Israel in return for getting all Egyptian land back. Did President Reagan really believe that Israel was ready to give back to King Hussein (or to any other Arab government) all of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in return for receiving diplomatic recognition and the promise of trade and tourism? Perhaps the President doesn't believe this fairy tale anymore, since recent developments on the West Bank have made Israeli intentions to stay there so obvious. But he, and other Westerners who have been comparing King Hussein so unfavorably to Mr. Sadat, could have figured it out long ago. King Hussein certainly did, and so did other Arab leaders who have been protesting about the Camp David treaties for more than three years. What they saw clearly was that Mr. Begin regarded the Camp David agreements as an opportunity to give back only the territory that Israel wanted the least (Sinai), in return for an enhanced capability-once Egypt had given up its military option-to hold on for good to the territories it wanted the most (Golan, Gaza and the West Bank). All the Arab leaders had to do was to look at the record. As soon as Mr. Begin became prime minister, he said the West Bank—which he began calling Judea and Samaria—was part of biblical Israel. After he signed Camp David in 1978, he quickly established more settlements there. In 1979, just before signing the Egypt-Israel treaty, he told the Knesset that "Israel will never return to the pre-1967 lines," and eventually "shall claim (its) sovereign rights in the West Bank." Since then, he has been putting that area more and more under the Israeli thumb, while reiterating that "autonomy" did not mean the inhabitants would have any rights over the land.

In view of what has been happening, it's time we stopped judging Arab countries on the basis of whether or not they are willing to participate in the "Camp David peace process"—as though that process alone were synonymous with the desire for peace. Yes, it's good that as a result of Camp David Israel will get out of Sinai, although even that prospect is in doubt at the present time. But perpetual occupation by Israel of Golan, Gaza and the West Bank—a possibility which Camp David so far has facilitated—will not bring peace to the Middle East. In fact, it is sure to bring renewed war.