There recently was an excellent bipartisan op-ed in the Washington Post that I believe deserves more attention.  Former National Security Advisor for Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft and former National Security Advisor for Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinksi welcomed the election of Barack Obama and argued that Obama must prioritize a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

I also wrote in a blog post on September 22nd that a renewed commitment to the peace process should be one of the important priorities for the Obama administration.  This is anything but a partisan issue.  Democrats and Republicans agree that this needs to be done.  The bipartisan Iraq Study Group emphasized the critical role that such a renewed commitment could play in reducing the justification for conflict in Iraq and in other war-torn areas of the Middle East.  So, if everyone agrees that this needs to be done and the basic outline of the plan that will be put into place is well known, then why have we continued to be stuck with the status quo?  Brzezinksi and Scowcroft point out that the weakness of the negotiating partners is a major factor in preventing the peace process from moving forward and that US presidential leadership could play an important role in bolstering Palestinian, Israeli, and international support for the basic tenets of this peace process:

These should contain four principal elements: 1967 borders, with minor, reciprocal and agreed-upon modifications; compensation in lieu of the right of return for Palestinian refugees; Jerusalem as real home to two capitals; and a nonmilitarized Palestinian state.

Brzezinksi and Scowcroft argue that after Obama speaks out forcefully in support of the fundamental principles of the peace, he should appoint a high level dignitary to bring the sides together to hammer out the details and build broad public support.  In my mind, the clear choice for this Middle East envoy position is Bill Clinton. 

On Monday Obama made it official that Hillary Clinton would indeed be the next Secretary of State.  With that appointment, many are wondering what role Bill will play in the next administration.  Some may question if Obama is actually bringing on two Secretaries of State – Hillary…. and Bill.  Without question, Bill will need a responsibility that he can call his own that is worthy of his stature.  Bill Clinton has clearly demonstrated a strong commitment to this issue, as exemplified by his attempt to broker an agreement in the waning days of his presidency.  I am confident that a challenge of this magnitude is exactly the type of opportunity that Bill Clinton thrives on.  There are few others that could match his political skills and ability to rally public support for this critical task.  The next step in this process is going to be about building public support and pressure for a deal to move forward as much as it is about the details of the deal.  Bill Clinton is the right person for this role.

Related posts:

1. Winning Turkey’s Support on Iran
2. Richardson Weighs in on Mideast
3. Obama Reiterates Commitment to Middle East Peace
4. Moving Parts in the Middle East
5. The Egyptian Elephant in the Room