No peace, No peace plans, No price for Peace
(A short guide to those obsessed with peace)
Moshe Sharon
Everybody says that his donkey is a horse.
There is no tax on words.
(Two Arab proverbs)
On December 24th 1977, at the very beginning of the negotiations between
Israel and Egypt in Ismailia , I had the opportunity to have a short
discussion with Muhammad Anwar Sadat the president of Egypt . "Tell your
Prime Minister," he said, "that this is a bazaar; the merchandise is
expensive." I told my Prime Minister but he failed to abide by the rules of
the bazaar. The failure was not unique to him alone. It is the failure of
all the Israeli governments and the media.
On March 4, 1994, I published an article in the Jerusalem Post called
"Novices in Negotiations" The occasion was the conclusion of the "Cairo
Agreement." A short time later, Yasser Arafat, proved yet again that his
signature was not worth the ink of his pen let alone the paper to which it
was affixed, and his word was worth even less. Then, as in every subsequent
agreement Israel was taken aback when her concessions had become the basis
for fresh Arab demands.
In Middle Eastern bazaar diplomacy, agreements are kept not because they are
signed but because they are imposed. Besides, in the bazaar of the
Arab-Israeli conflict, the two sides are not discussing the same
merchandise. The Israelis wish to acquire peace based on the Arab-Muslim
acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state. The objective of the Arabs is to
annihilate the Jewish state, replace it with an Arab state, and get rid of
the Jews.
To achieve their goal, the Arabs took to the battlefield and to the bazaar
diplomacy. The most important rule in the bazaar is that if the vendor knows
that you desire to purchase a certain piece of merchandize, he will raise
its price. The merchandise in question is "peace" and the Arabs give the
impression that they actually have this merchandise and inflate its price,
when in truth they do not have it at all.
This is the wisdom of the bazaar, if you are clever enough you can sell
nothing at a price. The Arabs sell words, they sign agreements, and they
trade with vague promises, but are sure to receive generous down payments
from eager buyers. In the bazaar only a foolish buyer pays for something he
has never seen.
There is another rule in the market as well as across the negotiating table:
the side that first presents his terms is bound to lose; the other side
builds his next move using the open cards of his opponent as the starting
point.
In all its negotiations with the Palestinian Arabs, Israel has always rushed
to offer its plans, and was surprised to discover that after an agreement
had been "concluded" it had become the basis for further demands.
Most amazing is the reaction in such cases. Israeli politicians, "experts"
and the media eagerly provide "explanations" for the Arabs' behaviour. One
of the most popular explanations is that these or other Arab pronouncements
are "for internal use," as if "internal use" does not count. Other
explanations invoke "the Arab sensitivity to symbols," "honour," "matters of
emotion" and other more patronising sayings of this nature. Does Israel
possess no "sensitivities" or does it have no honour? What does all this
have to do with political encounters?
It is therefore essential, as the late President Sadat advised, to learn the
rules of the oriental bazaar before venturing into the arena of bazaar
diplomacy. The most important of all the rules is the Roman saying: "If you
want peace -- prepare for war." Never come to the negotiating table from a
position of weakness. Your adversary should always know that you are strong
and ready for war even more than you are ready for peace.
In the present situation in the Middle East and in the foreseeable future
"peace" is nothing more than an empty word. Israel should stop speaking
about "peace" and delete the word "peace" from its vocabulary together with
such phrases as "the price of peace" or "territory for peace." For a hundred
years the Jews have been begging the Arabs to sell them peace, ready to pay
any price. They have received nothing, because the Arabs have no peace to
sell, but they have still paid dearly. It must be said in all fairness that
the Arabs have not made a secret of the fact that what they meant by the
word "peace" was nothing more than a limited ceasefire for a limited period.
Since this is the situation, Israel should openly declare that peace does
not exist as an option in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and that it has decided
to create a new state of affairs in the Middle East , compelling the Arab
side to ask for peace; and pay for it. Unlike the Arabs, Israel has this
merchandize for sale.
>From now on Israel should be the side demanding payment for peace. If the
Arabs want peace, Israel should fix its price in real terms. The Arabs will
pay if they reach the conclusion that Israel is so strong that they cannot
destroy it. Because of this, Israel s deterrent power is essential.
Therefore, if anyone asks Israel for plans, the answer should be: no
"plans," no "suggestions," no "constructive ideas," in fact no negotiations
at all. If the Arab side wants to negotiate, let it present its plans and
its "ideas." If and when it does, the first Israeli reaction should always
be "unacceptable! Come with better ones." If and when the time comes for
serious negotiations, once the Arabs have lost all hope of annihilating the
Jewish state, here are ten rules for bargaining in the Middle Eastern
bazaar:
. Never be the first to suggest anything to the other side.
Never show any eagerness "to conclude a deal." Let the opponent present his
suggestions first.
. Always reject; disagree. Use the phrase: "Not meeting the
minimum demands," and walk away, even a hundred times. A tough customer gets
good prices.
. Don't rush to come up with counter-offers. There will always
be time for that. Let the other side make amendments under the pressure of
your total "disappointment." Patience is the name of the game: "haste is
from Satan!"
. Have your own plan ready in full, as detailed as possible,
with the red lines completely defined. However, never show this or any other
plan to a third party. It will reach your opponent quicker than you think.
Weigh the other sides suggestions against this plan.
. Never change your detailed plan to meet the other side "half
way." Remember, there is no "half way." The other side also has a master
plan. Be ready to quit negotiations when you encounter stubbornness on the
other side.
. Never leave things unclear. Always avoid "creative phrasing"
and "creative ideas" which are exactly what your Arab opponent wants.
Remember the Arabs are masters of language. Playing with words is the Arab
national sport. As in the market, so also at the negotiating table, always
talk dollars and cents.
. Always bear in mind that the other side will try to outsmart
you by presenting major issues as unimportant details. Regard every detail
as a vitally important issue. Never postpone any problem "for a later
occasion." If you do so you will lose; remember that your opponent is always
looking for a reason to avoid honouring agreements.
. Emotion belongs neither in the marketplace nor at the
negotiating table. Friendly words as well as outbursts of anger, holding
hands, kissing, touching cheeks, and embracing should not be interpreted as
representing policy.
. Beware of popular beliefs about the Arabs and the Middle East
-- "Arab honour" for example. Remember, you have honour too, but this has
nothing to do with the issues under negotiation. Never do or say anything
because somebody has told you that it is "the custom." If the Arab side
finds out that you are playing the anthropologist he will take advantage of
it.
. Always remember that the goal of all negotiations is to make a
profit. You should aim at making the highest profit in real terms. Remember
that every gain is an asset for the future, because there is always going to
be "another round."
The Arabs have been practising negotiation tactics for more than 2000 years.
They are the masters of words, and a mine of endless patience. In contrast,
Israelis (and Westerners in general) want quick "results." In this part of
the world there are no quick results, the hasty one always loses.
Moshe Sharon is Professor of Islamic History at the Hebrew University
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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