Prof. Zbigniew Brzezinski, foreign policy advisor to Gov. Jimmy Carter, spoke at length here today about America’s “intimate” relationship with Israel which, he said, was not a partisan issue because it was deeply rooted in this country’s historical, moral and strategic interests.
In a 90-minute address and question-and-answer session with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Brzezinski also outlined his ideas for a “comprehensive settlement” of the Middle East conflict and explained how his approach differed from that of Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.
He said he did not think an imposed solution was serious possibility because it would not stick and an “accommodation” was far more preferable. He sharply criticized the U.S. sale of sophisticated weaponry to the Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia. He said the Arabs must realize that the U.S.-Israel relationship cannot be even-handed compared to the U.S.-Arab relationship and that he had told this to Arab leaders.
CITES THREE FACTORS
Brzezinski, a professor of history at Columbia University, has been mentioned as possible National Security Advisor or Secretary of State in a Carter Administration should the Democratic candidate win the Presidency on Nov. 2. He said the U.S.-Israel relationship rested on three factors: the role of the American Jewish community which is “a legitimate and important” force in building an understanding among the American people and the government of its “deeply felt concern about Israel”; the shared sense of guilt of the American people for the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis in World War II; and the “strategically complimentary” interests of the U.S. and Israel that the Soviet Union does not attain “paramountcy” in the Middle East.
Brzezinski said that these interests do not preclude tactical differences and even occasional friction between the two countries. But he said it was “unwise” for the U.S. to use pressure “on the weaker party” to make concessions that it thinks would jeopardize its security and survival.
U.S.-ISRAEL, U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS
He said he has told Arab leaders that the U.S.-Israel relationship was an intimate one based on a shared historical and spiritual legacy constantly strengthened by the political actions of American Jews, while U.S.-Arab relations do not contain any of those factors.
The Arabs must recognize the “disqualitative distinction” between U.S.-Israeli and U.S.-Arab relations as “a fact of life” and must understand that the U.S. will not abandon Israel because “to do so would be a betrayal of ourselves,” Brzezinski said. He added that anyone who told the Arabs otherwise was deceiving them. On the other hand, he said, the intimate U.S.-Israel relationship is not necessarily a barrier to improved U.S.-Arab relations.
Brzezinski said the recent article by Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon in Foreign Affairs Quarterly was “an indication of Israel’s inclination to begin to think of the outline of an eventual settlement.” He said the development of Arab thinking along those lines “is retarded by the fragility of the Arab leadership” and the crisis in Lebanon. Nevertheless, the Arabs must “come around to recognize Israel’s legitimate and permanent place in the Middle East,” he said.
PEACE PROCESS OUTLINED
According to Brzezinski, the search for a “comprehensive settlement” in the Middle East was about to enter the first stage of what he saw as a three-stage process. Stage one, he said, would be to “define the essential principles of the structure on which to build that comprehensive settlement.” Allon’s article is “one step” and should be responded to by the Arabs, Brzezinski said, adding that he expected that it would be.
The second stage, he said, was negotiations, including the matter of who participates in them; and the third stage would be the implementation of the agreements arrived at through negotiations He thought that would take “a long time.”
Brzezinski said he differed with Kissinger in that the Secretary of State seeks “small steps toward an indeterminate future” while his idea is to determine the shape of the future settlement and then take small steps toward it including “fail safe options” to build trust and protect both sides.
Brzezinski said the sale of such advanced weaponry as air-to-ground missiles to Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia, was “very misguided,” “very unwise” and “highly undiscerning” of their easy transfer to a third party. On the other hand, he said that the increasing dependency of the Arab states on the U.S. for weapons and other items gives this country “leverage” in the Arab world.
He noted in that connection that Carter’s statement that he would impose a counter-boycott in the event of a new Arab oil embargo is only credible in the context of Arab dependence on the U.S. Such a counter-embargo would have a strong deterrent effect because it would put the Arab ruling elite in jeopardy, he said.
He noted that the Arab world was now in the process of revival and modernization and the question is will it become westernized or radicalized. He said both the U.S. and Israel have a shared interest against the radicalization of the Arab world.
Referring to specific aspects of a Middle East settlement, Brzezinski said he would prefer a Palestinian entity linked to Jordan because it would be more stable than a separate state. He said such an entity would have to have close relations with Israel and be demilitarized. He said he agreed with those Israelis who view Israel’s absorption of the West Bank as counter-productive and disruptive of Israeli society.
ON THE UN, SOVIET JEWRY
Referring to the United Nations, Brzezinski said the moral basis of the UN’s involvement in the search for a Middle East settlement was destroyed by its resolution condemning Zionism as racist.
Brzezinski also referred to the issue of Soviet Jewry. He said the USSR must clearly understand that U.S.-Soviet relations will be affected by what happens in the social dimension. He said the Helsinki Accords give the U.S. the right to raise the issue of human rights and immigration rights with the Russians. He said the present administration was “inadequate” in its exploitation of that right.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
