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III
No peace, No peace plans, No price for
Peace
(A short
guide to those obsessed with peace)
Moshe Sharon
Everybody says that his donkey is a horse.
There is no tax on words.
(Two Arab proverbs)
On December 25th
1977, at the very beginning of the
negotiations between Israel and Egypt in Ismailia, I had the opportunity to
have a short discussion with Muhammad Anwar Sadat the president of Egypt.
“Tell your Prime Minister, he said, that this is a bazaar; the merchandize
is expensive.” I told my Prime Minister but he failed to abide by the rules
of the bazaar. The failure was not unique to him alone. It is the failure of
all the Israeli governments and the media.
On March 4, 1994, I published an article in
the Jerusalem Post called “Novices in Negotiations” The occasion was
the conclusion of the “Cairo Agreement.” A short time later, Yasser Arafat,
proved yet again that his signature was not worth the ink of his pen let
alone the paper to which it was attached,
and his word was worth even less. Then, as in every subsequent agreement
Israel was taken aback when her concessions had become the basis for fresh
Arab demands.
In Middle Eastern bazaar diplomacy,
agreements are kept not because they are signed but because they are
imposed. Besides, in the bazaar of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the two sides
are not discussing the same merchandize. The Israelis wish to acquire peace
based on the Arab-Muslim acceptance of
Israel
as a Jewish state. The objective of the Arabs is to annihilate the Jewish
state, replace it with an Arab state, and get rid of the Jews.
To achieve their goal, the Arabs took to the
battlefield and to the bazaar diplomacy. The most important rule in the
bazaar is that if the vendor knows that you desire to purchase a certain
piece of merchandize, he will raise its price. The merchandize in question
is “peace” and the Arabs give the impression that they actually have this
merchandize and inflate its price, when in truth they do not have it at all.
This is the wisdom of the bazaar, if you are
clever enough you can sell nothing at a price. The Arabs sell words, they
sign agreements, and they trade with vague promises, but are sure to receive
generous down payments from eager buyers. In the bazaar only a foolish buyer
pays for something he has never seen.
There is another rule in the market as well
as across the negotiating table: the side that first presents his terms is
bound to loose; the other side builds his next move using the open cards of
his opponent as the starting point.
In all its negotiations with the Palestinian
Arabs, Israel has always rushed to offer its plans, and was surprised to
discover that after an agreement had been “concluded” it had become the
basis for further demands.
Most amazing is the reaction in such cases.
Israeli politicians, “experts” and the media eagerly provide “explanations”
for the Arabs’ behavior. One of the most popular explanations is that these
or other Arab pronouncements are “for internal use,” as if “internal use”
does not count. Other explanations invoke “the Arab sensitivity to symbols,”
“honor,” “matters of emotion” and other more patronising sayings of this
nature. Does Israel possess no “sensitivities” or does it have no honor?
What does all this have to do with political encounters?
It is therefore essential, as the late
President Sadat advised, to learn the rules of the oriental bazaar before
venturing into the arena of bazaar diplomacy. The most important of all the
rules is the Roman saying: “If you want peace – prepare for war.” Never come
to the negotiating table from a position of weakness. Your adversary should
always know that you are strong and ready for war even more than you are
ready for peace.
In the present situation in the Middle East
and in the foreseeable future “Peace” is nothing more than an empty word.
Israel should stop speaking about
“peace” and delete the word “peace” from its vocabulary together with such
phrases as “the price of peace” or “territory for peace.” For a hundred
years the Jews have been begging the Arabs to sell them peace, ready to pay
any price. They have received nothing, because the Arabs have no peace to
sell, but they have still paid dearly. It must be said in all fairness that
the Arabs have not made a secret of the fact that what they meant by the
word “peace” was nothing more than a limited ceasefire for a limited period.
Since this is the situation, Israel should
openly declare that peace does not exist as an option in the Arab-Israeli
conflict, and that it has decided to create a new state of affairs in the
Middle East, compelling the Arab side to ask for peace; and
pay for it. Unlike the Arabs, Israel has this merchandize for sale.
From now on Israel should be the side
demanding payment for peace. If the Arabs want peace,
Israel
should fix its price in real terms. The Arabs will pay if they reach the
conclusion that Israel is so strong
that they cannot destroy it. Because of this, Israel’s deterrent power is
essential.
Therefore, if anyone asks Israel for plans,
the answer should be: no “plans,” no “suggestions,” no “constructive ideas,”
in fact no negotiations at all. If the Arab side wants to negotiate, let it
present its plans and its “ideas.” If and when it does, the first Israeli
reaction should always be “unacceptable! Come with better ones.” If and when
the time comes for serious negotiations, once the Arabs have lost all hope
of annihilating the Jewish state, here are ten rules for bargaining in the
Middle Eastern bazaar:
·
Never be the first to suggest
anything to the other side. Never show any eagerness “to conclude a deal.”
Let the opponent present his suggestions first.
·
Always reject; disagree. Use
the phrase: “Not meeting the minimum demands,” and walk away, even a hundred
times. A tough customer gets good prices.
·
Don’t rush to come up with
counter-offers. There will always be time for that. Let the other side make
amendments under the pressure of your total “disappointment.” Patience is
the name of the game: “haste is from Satan!”
·
Have your own plan ready in
full, as detailed as possible, with the red lines completely defined.
However, never show this or any other plan to a third party. It will reach
your opponent quicker than you think. Weigh the other side’s suggestions
against this plan.
·
Never change your detailed
plan to meet the other side “half way.” Remember, there is no “half way.”
The other side also has a master plan. Be ready to quit negotiations when
you encounter stubbornness on the other side.
·
Never leave things unclear.
Always avoid “creative phrasing” and “creative ideas” which are exactly what
your Arab opponent wants. Remember the Arabs are masters of language.
Playing with words is the Arab national sport. As in the market, so also at
the negotiating table, always talk dollars and cents.
·
Always bear in mind that the
other side will try to outsmart you by presenting major issues as
unimportant details. Regard every detail as a vitally important issue. Never
postpone any problem “for a later occasion.” If you do so you will lose;
remember that your opponent is always looking for a reason to avoid
honouring agreements.
·
Emotion belongs neither in the
marketplace nor at the negotiating table. Friendly words as well as
outbursts of anger, holding hands, kissing, touching cheeks, and embracing
should not be interpreted as representing policy.
·
Beware of popular beliefs
about the Arabs and the Middle East – “Arab honor” for example. Remember,
you have honor too, but this has nothing to do with the issues under
negotiation. Never do or say anything because somebody has told you that it
is “the custom.” If the Arab side finds out that you are playing the
anthropologist he will take advantage of it.
·
Always remember that the goal
of all negotiations is to make a profit. You should aim at making the
highest profit in real terms. Remember that every gain is an asset for the
future, because there is always going to be “another round.”
The Arabs have been practicing negotiation
tactics for more than 2000 years. They are the masters of words, and a mine
of endless patience. In contrast, Israelis (and Westerners in general) want
quick “results.” In this part of the world there are no quick results, the
hasty one always looses. |
