Israel is in "an enviable position" due to the unprecedented number of Arab states and organizations who wish to speak with it, according to US analyst Dr. Robert Satloff, who made the comment Monday evening at the Herzliya Conference.
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His view would likely surprise many Israelis, but Satloff, who is the executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said he could not remember a time when Israel was in a more enviable position.
"It's my view that Israel does not know what an enviable position it has found itself in," Satloff said, adding: "For the first time in which I can recall, all Arabs want to talk to you. Arabs who like you, and those who don't like you, want talk to you. Those with malicious intentions, and those who do not have malicious intentions. All of them want to talk to you. You have the choice of who you want to speak to, and in which order. That is an enviable position."
Addressing the recent controversies created by US public figures that have come out against Israel, such as Jimmy Carter and John Mearsheimer, Satloff said: "Israel remains deeply supported by American people. On a popular level that foundation is strong. On an elite level it's weakening."
The American analyst said he has surveyed Arab opinion from North Africa to the Persian Gulf, and found that although the Iraq invasion was unpopular, "they are begging us not to leave."
"They are begging us to stop Iran. To prevent an Iranian nuclear acquisition, and stemming Iranian influence. We remain the most powerful player in region."
Satloff's view was contradicted by Dr. Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, who said: "The US era in the Middle East is over." He cited US policies such as the Iraq war, and the "unwise emphasis on elections" as leading to the end of American dominance in the region.
Haass, who was former head of policy planning at the US State Department, also criticized Israel for not negotiating with Syria, saying: "I don't understand the reticence of diplomacy." He added that negotiations were non-binding, and that it was pointless to place preconditions on talks.
The United States should engage in direct negotiations with Iran over stabilizing Iraq and Tehran's nuclear program, he added.
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