Saudi Arabia reaches out to Israel and American Jews, but sadly could be stuck in 1967

In a front page article appearing in the February 12 edition of USA Today, the article headlined "Arabs try outreach to Israel, U.S. Jews--Saudis, others seek to counter extremists" paints a hopeful picture of the current situation between Israel and her neighbors. Saudi Arabia is leading Arab states in making public overtures to Israel, as well as American Jews in an attempt to "undercut Iran's growing influence, contain violence in Iraq and Lebanon and push for a Palestinian solution," the article says. The outreach objective coincides with the role the Saudis played last week in helping to broker a deal for a coalition Palestinian government.
Last month, the article says, a departing Saudi ambassador to the United States made an "unprecedented appearance" at an event hosted by a number of American Jewish organizations to honor a State Department diplomat appointed to combat anti-Semitism.
Saudi Arabia is among a group of countries including Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates that have "stepped up contacts with Israel and pro-Israel Jewish groups in the USA," with "the Bush administration's blessing," of course. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians would weaken militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Rice has also stated that six gulf states, Jordan, Israel and Egypt are a "new alignment of moderates to oppose extremists backed by Iran and Syria," the article says.
The intensification of these contacts has been part of a strategy that aims to undercut extremists and help usher along an Israel-Palestinian peace deal. It is of great concern that Iran is setting the political agenda of the region.
Of the 21 Arab countries on the map, only three--Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania-- formally recognize Israel. A Saudi peace plan offered up in 2002 offers diplomatic relations with the other 18 Arab states if Israel agrees to withdraw to the borders proposed in 1967--which would require Israel to give up the West Bank and Golan Heights. The proposition would turn this land into a Palestinian state.

Personally, I find the 2002 Saudi proposition ridiculous, and if the peace deals the Saudis wish to broker now even remotely resemble the 1967 border plans, there is no way the proposition will go through a committee of Israelis or American Jews. The Golan Heights especially are an invaluable asset to Israel, providing physical protection as it is at the border with both Syria and Lebanon. It also carries an emotional attachment because of how hard Israelis have had to fight to keep this land--much of which was abandoned after the Syrians turned it into a minefield, and refused to turn the maps over to Israel. Also, a huge majority of Israel's fresh water comes out of the Golan Heights--not something they really want to turn over to the control of countries who have denied their existence for the past 58 years, referring to Israel just as the "Zionist entity". It is a great step forward for Arab countries to reach out to American Jews and Israel, but it is unrealistic for them to come to the table with a failed plan from 1967 and expect it to work today.