J Street supports the US Administration’s pursuit of a regional, comprehensive approach to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflicts and welcomes the Arab Peace Initiative as part of a basis for achieving peace and securing Israel. This would guarantee the full recognition of Israel and normal relations between Israel and the Arab and Muslim countries, including all 22 Arab states and 57 Muslim states.
The interconnectedness of the Middle East makes dealing with various tracks of the Arab-Israeli conflict individually more challenging because the process is vulnerable to multiple neighboring conflicts, crises, and spoilers. Additionally, political dynamics and structures, or lack thereof, create an environment in which it is nearly impossible to make the necessary sacrifices for peace without broader international and regional cover and the promise of a comprehensive solution. The breadth of support for the Arab Peace Initiative in the Arab and Muslim world makes all parties, even Hamas, hard-pressed to reject it.
Meanwhile, addressing the Arab-Israeli conflicts through a regional, comprehensive approach, offers Israel better and more immediate incentives; namely, recognition of an end of conflict by all Arab states and normalized relations in one fell swoop. While all parties, particularly the Israelis and Palestinians, will have to make great sacrifices for peace, resolving the conflicts comprehensively makes the benefits much more attractive – hence our support for an integrated approach, pursuing peace on all tracks between Israel and the Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese respectively, anchored in a regional vision.
J Street believes that the United States should actively promote and facilitate reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world, as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations and relevant security guarantees – in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement. US leadership can be deployed in these efforts to normalize relations between Israel and the Arab world, utilizing the Arab Peace Initiative and helping to create institutional frameworks for regional cooperation.