Obama administration ‘will back Israel’: security expert

KINGSTON, Ont. — A lasting peace in the Middle East won’t be possible without the involvement of the United States, said the new principal of the Royal Military College recently.

It is the only country in the world able to bridge the gap between
Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in the region, said Joel
Sokolsky, who is also a noted expert on international security.

Although the West and people in the Middle East complain about American meddling in the peace process, they also expect the U.S. to lead diplomatic efforts, he said. It’s also not clear whether Arab countries in the region want the United States to leave the region alone, he noted.

“There is an underlying comfort when the United States takes the lead,” Sokolsky said. “Left to its own, the region may deteriorate.”

No other group of countries, such as the United Nations or the European Union, can bring about peace, he said. America is “the only power that can really talk to both sides.”

He was speaking at the annual Rosen lecture at Queen’s University on Nov. 11.

Sokolsky was officially installed as principal of Royal Military College, which educates officers before they enter the Canadian Forces, in August 2008.

The Rosen lecture series annually brings in some top thinkers in the world to talk about issues that affect Jews, Israel and human rights. Previous speakers include former justice minister Irwin Cotler and author and activist Elie Wiesel.

All advances toward a lasting peace, such as the Oslo peace accords, were only possible only because of U.S. lead diplomatic efforts, Sokolsky said.

There is also no excuse for supporting actors such as the United Nations and Economic Union to step up and help with peace efforts once George W. Bush is no longer president, Sokolsky said.

He said he expects the United States to undertake a renewed effort to engage Israelis and Palestinians, although foreign policy won’t be an immediate priority for president-elect Barack Obama’s administration.

Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan will likely be top priorities for the Obama administration when it takes over in January 2009, but the Middle East will not remain off the radar for very long, Sokolsky said.

The United States will have to back moderate Israelis, he said, and reject radical Palestinian groups to help bring about peace.

He added that “the United States will back Israel. The Obama administration won’t substantially change that.”

Obama, he said, will try to bring Hamas, which rules Gaza, to the negotiating table and influence Israel into a peace agreement.

However, Israel will do whatever it wants based on maintaining its security, Sokolsky said. The United States can only influence Israel into taking risks for peace when Israelis feel safe, he noted.