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Don't Squander Peace Accord

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By MICHAEL O'HARA GARCIA

Special To The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 26, 2009

Today marks 30 years of peace between Israel and Egypt. "The Treaty of Peace between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel" signed on March 26, 1979, stands not only as a testament to the enduring value of personal honor and astute diplomacy but serves as a beacon of hope for all who aspire to a lasting peace in that troubled region.

One year before signing the agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Meacham Begin, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and President Jimmy Carter strolled in the bucolic environs of Camp David for several days. During those private walks in the woods, each man came to understand the other, not as a Jew, Arab or American, but as a human being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference in the world. For those three courageous men, success was not measured in terms of an enduring political legacy nor founded in the emoluments of temporal fortune; their ultimate satisfaction was the right of all Arabs and Jews to live peacefully and securely in their homeland.

Now comes a Shakespearean cast of astounding veniality and ignorance to uproot the historic accomplishments of Camp David. Vying for the leading role are the Iranian-manipulated Hamas extremists, opportunistic Sinai Bedouins and pitiful gaggle of Israeli, Egyptian and U.S. officials attempting to master the art of simultaneous hand-wringing and thumb-twiddling.

As the current debacle in Gaza unfolds, we begin to see the ugly underbelly of incompetence, cynicism and political opportunism that Begin, Sadat and Carter sought to marginalize.

The parties also established an 11-nation military force and a civilian observer unit to monitor compliance with the Treaty. The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), deployed soon after the treaty signing currently maintains three infantry battalions along the Egyptian-Israeli border and a small group of U.S. Civilian Observers who conduct twice monthly inspections throughout the Sinai.

Under the treaty, observers are empowered to enter any building and inspect any person, group or piece of equipment if they suspect a violation of the agreement. Neither the observers nor MFO military can make arrests or confiscate property. However, they are obliged to immediately report suspected violations for immediate resolution by Egypt or Israel. The treaty is unequivocal.

Which raises the question: Where was the MFO when Hamas was building the honeycomb of smuggling tunnels along a short stretch of border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip?

While one might argue the morality of the Israeli blockade or the right of Palestinians to feed their families; there is no excuse for the MFO and Egyptian authorities to turn a blind eye to the tunnels. Their existence exacerbates the problem and is a clear violation of the treaty. As a former observer, I am astonished the tunnels have been allowed to remain.

We cannot let the Gaza Palestinians starve, nor can we condone Hamas' smuggled rockets killing innocent Israelis. The immoral enrichment of Hamas leadership is no more justified than the refusal of the United States and Israel to acknowledge Hamas as the democratically elected government in the Gaza Strip.

Thirty-years ago three great men were able to overcome considerably more complex problems and find a peaceful solution. We must refuse to permit that legacy of trust and honor to be swept away by a tide of greed, avarice and ignorance.

Michael O'Hara Garcia is a Tampa native and graduate of Plant High School and the University of Florida who served as an observer with the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, Egypt, between 1988 and 1989.

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