President Barack Obama was in Cambodia Monday at a summit banquet. He skipped dessert to rush back to his hotel suit at 11:30 p.m. to call President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo to begin a series of one-on-one conversations which would lead to a cease fire between Hamas in Gaza and the Israelis, whose troops were, and remain, massed on the Gaza border eager to invade. WONDERING WHAT might have been is a frivolous exercise — still, one can’t help thinking that the president’s re-election gave him added clout that made the difference this week.
Both parties agreed Thursday it was the combination of Egypt and the United States that pressured Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the fighting and agree to discuss the issues between them.
It is far too early to say peace is about to break out. Hamas demands Israel lift its embargo that prevents most imports into Gaza. Israel has refused because it expects doing so would result in the importation of heavy weapons that would lead to more damaging attacks by Hamas militants.
Nonetheless, compromises are possible. A deal could be reached that would allow increased imports into Gaza and exports from there to other nations to both be monitored by a neutral authority.
Much will have been accomplished if the two sides actually do sit down together and begin to talk about ways out of continuous conflict.
Much has already been accomplished for stability in the Middle East by the trusting connection forged between Presidents Obama and Morsi.
The two spent several hours on the telephone together and agreed on ways to broker a tentative peace. President Morsi supports Hamas and has egged it on in its attacks on Israel. He is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. But he is also the newly elected president of Egypt who understands that his nation cannot achieve the stability economic progress requires without support from the United States and relative peace in the region.
For his part, President Obama has been a student of the Middle East and of the Muslim world. He supports Israel, but he understands the Palestinians. His ability to see both sides of the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel has been of critical importance in dealing with this crisis.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also deserves praise. She was an able representative of the president and the United States. Four years in the office have given her the experience and knowledge to add on-the-spot credibility to the U.S. determination to do what it can to stop the bloodshed and open new talks.
President Morsi appears to be a practical man. If President Obama had been defeated and had only a few weeks more in office, Mr. Morsi may not have felt the need to establish a firm relationship with him, despite the urgent need to stop the fighting. The opportunity to alter history might have been lost.
It is the world’s good fortune that we will never know the answer to that what-if.
— Emerson Lynn, jr.
