Daily Record
Friday, October 12, 2007

To the Editor:

It is probably unrealistic to hope that Secretary Condoleezza Rice can prod the Middle East leaders to agree in the weeks before the November meeting on a substantial outline for peace that has always eluded previous efforts.

My advice to our president if he is really sincere about a successful outcome for the conference is to announce an ambitious and unprecedented American vision of peace by defining solutions to the major final status issues and pledging a determined U.S. leadership to implement this "political horizon."

This commitment will require marshalling all the necessary and enticing deals, including economic, diplomatic and security-related offers.

This is a matter that will inevitably require a complicated diplomatic offensive well after the conference is ended.

The president must push for a more comprehensive agreement eclipsing the vague joint "declaration of interests" statement offered by Israel.

The outcome must be a complete departure from procedural concessions to substantive compromises -- all based on the already well-known two-state and land for peace formulas.

There has to be a dramatic move from conceptual discussions to enforceable and practical agreements.

AREF ASSAF

Denville



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The writer is president of American Arab Forum, a think tank based in Paterson.