End of Assad Regime Would Catalyze Change in Middle East
April 28, 2011 -- Washington – In a spirited debate on U.S. Foreign Policy and the Middle East, former Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler and Elliott Abrams, former Deputy National Security Advisor in the Bush Administration, agreed that unfolding events in Syria are to date the most significant sweeping the Middle East.
Speaking to more than 1,000 people at the AJC 2011 Global Forum, Wexler and Abrams debated the most appropriate course of action for the United States with respect to Israel and the Palestinians, Syria, and other countries and non-state actors in the region. The lively session was broadcast live via webcast and will appear on C-span.
“If events go in Syria in a way that is not beneficial to Bashar Assad, Iran will be next,” Wexler said. With regard to US foreign policy, Abrams added, “Syria is an enemy of the United States. Why would we call for the departure of Egyptian President Mubarak and not Assad? It’s disgusting.”
The two foreign policy experts diverged, however, in their assessments of the Obama Administration’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Israel. While the two agreed on the strength of security ties, Abrams suggested that political relations have declined and should be strengthened, while Wexler asserted that the Obama Administration has been as good as any in maintaining what he called the “unbreakable bond with Israel.” Insisting that the United States could do more, Abrams said, “We have allowed governments [in the Middle East] to spew anti-Semitism in official documents, books, and on government-run TV. We need to say, ‘that’s got to end.’”
Discussing Israel’s role in the peace process, Wexler, currently President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, said, “To our friends in Israel: if you calculate that the leverage you have today is greater than the leverage you will have in five or ten years, it is prudent to make difficult decisions now when your leverage is greatest. It is borderline irrational to wait until your choices are lessened. Now is the time to make difficult choices.”
However, noting the potential Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said, “The way to build a Palestinian state is not through partnerships with terrorist groups.”
Speaking to more than 1,000 people at the AJC 2011 Global Forum, Wexler and Abrams debated the most appropriate course of action for the United States with respect to Israel and the Palestinians, Syria, and other countries and non-state actors in the region. The lively session was broadcast live via webcast and will appear on C-span.
“If events go in Syria in a way that is not beneficial to Bashar Assad, Iran will be next,” Wexler said. With regard to US foreign policy, Abrams added, “Syria is an enemy of the United States. Why would we call for the departure of Egyptian President Mubarak and not Assad? It’s disgusting.”
The two foreign policy experts diverged, however, in their assessments of the Obama Administration’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Israel. While the two agreed on the strength of security ties, Abrams suggested that political relations have declined and should be strengthened, while Wexler asserted that the Obama Administration has been as good as any in maintaining what he called the “unbreakable bond with Israel.” Insisting that the United States could do more, Abrams said, “We have allowed governments [in the Middle East] to spew anti-Semitism in official documents, books, and on government-run TV. We need to say, ‘that’s got to end.’”
Discussing Israel’s role in the peace process, Wexler, currently President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, said, “To our friends in Israel: if you calculate that the leverage you have today is greater than the leverage you will have in five or ten years, it is prudent to make difficult decisions now when your leverage is greatest. It is borderline irrational to wait until your choices are lessened. Now is the time to make difficult choices.”
However, noting the potential Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Abrams, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said, “The way to build a Palestinian state is not through partnerships with terrorist groups.”
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