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A new vision for Middle East security proposed
WASHINGTON, May 13: In yet another collaboration between an Arab and an Israeli scholar, a new vision for Middle East security has been advanced by two well-respected strategic analysts, the first, a science advisor to Jordan’s King Hussein and the second, an Israeli arms control expert at Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School of Government, reports AP.
At a luncheon at the Middle East Institute (MEI) on May 8, Abdullah Toukan and Shai Feldman underlined the need for thinking "differently" about the region's security and their feeling, as expressed in their book, that "the problems entailed in bridging the remain-in^ gaps are not insurmount-
Their Just-released book is titled. "Bridging the Gap: A Future Security Architecture for
the Middle East." It is the first in a series on conflict prevention sponsored by the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.
The gist of their Joint effort is a five-point programme to overcome what they call the gap in the "threat perceptions and security concerns" between the Arab states and Israel. Regardless of whether these are Justified or not. they write, "these threat perceptions were deeply held by Arabs and Israelis and had important behavioral consequences — first and foremost in defense doctrines and secu-ritypolicies."
The volatility of the region, they point out, is further compounded by the fact that it suffers a chronic shortage of water, and has '"one of the world’s largest refugee problems," with an average annual population growth of 3 per cent and, as a re-
sult, a growing young population seeking employment at a rate much higher than the region's economies can provide.
Moreover, they note, there is international concern about "increasing extremism by both Islamic and Jewish activists, leading at times to terrorism "
Their five-step programme for a future security architecture for the Middle east entails:
1) Refraining from adopting security policies that diminish the security of neighbours.
This would mean "greater awareness" by countries of the Middle East of what the authors saw as a "security dilemma." namely a neighbour's diminished security rarely translates to gains In a'country's own wellbeing. Rather the pursuit of policies should be aimed at augmenting a country's security
without diminishing the neighbours’ self-confidence.
2) Enhancing the process launched by the Middle East Arms Control and Region Security (ACRS) working group of the multilateral Middle East peace negotiations which were launched in Moscow In January 1992.
The authors advocate the establishment "without delay" of the Regional Security Center agreed upon at these talks, which are at present stalled after Israel commenced construction In March on its Har Homa settlement in Arab East Jerusalem.
3) Expanding the Middle East track-II talks which in their opinion provide "important opportunities for informal exchanges among scholars and other non-officials in the region, allowing the parties to air their perceptions and concerns
in an uncommitted fashion."
It was actually at these informal get-togethers at various international settings that Toukan and Feldman cemented their relationship and agreed to put their thoughts in writing. Another joint effort between an Arab ana an Israeli was undertaken by Sari Nusseibeh and Mark Heller when they collaborated on "No Trumpets No Drums: A Two-State Settlement for the Israel-Palestine Conflict.'"
4) Establishing a Middle East Cooperative Security Framework (MECSF) to enhance the security of the region's states through military and non-military means.
It is their view that this proposed framework would gradually replace the ACRS process and would enjoy "a high profile, thus illustrating that the re-
gion's states have moved from a narrow pursuit of national security to a serious effort to enhance regional security."
MECSF would be managed by the states in the region rather than the two co-sponsors of the peace process, the United States and Russia, a development that would demonstrate that the Middle East peace process has matured.
5) Ensuring the continued engagement of the United States in the Middle East.
They argue that the United States should continue to enhance the region's security "by facilitating the peaceful resolution of disputes, by helping deter aggression and extremism, by encouraging economic development. democratization and human rights, and by strengthening moderate government in the region."