The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright, 64th U.S. Secretary of State, delivered this fall’s Sadat Lecture for Peace on Dec. 6, 2010 in the Grand Ballroom at the Stamp Student Union.
The Grand Ballroom was filled to capacity as Dr. Albright talked about the current situation in the Middle East, and the status of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at a time that US diplomacy seems to be at a standstill.
Albright is Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and Chair of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets.
In January 1997, she was sworn in as the first female Secretary of State and became, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. As Secretary of State, Dr. Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated for democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade, business, labor, and environmental standards abroad.
Dr. Albright paid tribute to Anwar Sadat, to whom this lecture series has been dedicated. Sadat was the third president of Egypt whose visit to Israel and the eventual Camp David Accords won him the Nobel Peace Prize. On Oct. 6, 1981, Sadat was assassinated during the annual victory parade held in Cairo to celebrate Egypt’s crossing of the Suez Canal.
In November of 1977 Sadat’s groundbreaking three-day visit to Israel launched the first peace process between Israel and an Arab state. The Camp David Accords were signed by Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David in Washington D.C.
“Sadat’s odyssey was among the most striking acts of international political courage in the entire twentieth century,” said Dr. Albright.
Dr Albright explained that Sadat put his life on the line to show that peace was possible between Israel and the leader of the Arab world. The 1978 peace agreement created a foundation upon which future initiatives would be based. These initiatives include, for example, the 1993 Oslo process and the 1994 landmark peace agreement signed by the leaders of Israel and Jordan.
“These events gave us hope in the early 1990’s that momentum towards peace might prove unstoppable,” Dr. Albright said.
Dr. Albright’s involvement in Middle East diplomacy began in the fall of 1997. The Clinton administration hoped to reinvigorate the peace process, which had stalled after the assassination of Israeli politician Yitzhak Rabin in November of 1995.
“The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin robbed the world of another great leader who like Anwar Sadat before him was not afraid to take risks for peace.”
“We wanted to get the peace train back on track before it was too late,” she said.
Albright went to the region to promote three basic principles. The first was a mutual commitment to security against violence, which required a serious and sustained effort on the part of the Palestinians to prevent acts of terror. The second was the agreement to settle differences at the bargaining table and not by other means. The third principle was the acceptance by both sides that peace was the only reliable path to the future security and well being of their people, and that the two sides should view each other as partners and not enemies.
The only possible solution in the Middle East is a recognition of the value and the dignity of every human being whether Arab, Israeli, Muslim, Christian or Jew, according to Dr. Albright.
The Bush administration efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East fell short, according to Dr. Albright.
“The Bush administration so called roadmap to peace was never really taken out of the glove compartment,” she said.
This era saw political turbulence that divided both the Israeli and Palestinian communities.
“Many observers concluded that there is no longer any hope. That Israelis and Palestinians can never live together unless one side is crushed or the other pushed into the sea. Now I’ll tell you this afternoon that I don’t believe that nor should we accept it,” said Dr. Albright.
“We cannot make choices for those who live in the Middle East but we can try to help both sides put together a new foundation for peace,” she added.
Dr. Albright pointed to four reasons to be hopeful about the prospects for Middle East peace.
First and foremost the current generation of leaders in Israel, the Palestinian authority and the U.S. are all once again committed to the goal of reconciliation. Second there is broad international support for peace. European leaders have been vocal in encouraging peace builders on both sides of the Israeli, Palestinian divide.
Third, important steps are underway to strengthen the economic groundwork of the peace process, including the Aspen Institutes Middle East Investment Initiative, which is providing credit for the 200 business enterprises in the West bank and Gaza. The initiative will multiply job opportunities in sectors ranging from construction to farming.
A fourth reason is that the outline for a potential agreement between the two sides is in the works.
“A successful peacemaker must know intimately the needs and desires of those whose behalf he or she negotiates. But this is the simple part. He or she must know what is necessary for the other side,” said Dr. Albright.
Lealin Queen, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, said he enjoyed Dr. Albrights lecture, particularly how informative, intelligent, and well spoken she was.
“I’m fascinated by what this woman has been able to accomplish,” said Queen.
Senior biology major, Mike Atlas agreed that the lecture was rich in information and insight.
“She brings an incredibly knowledgeable and interesting perspective on conflict resolution in the Middle East,” said Atlas.
However Atlas wasn’t thrilled by the number of students that attended the event. Atlas thinks that students shouldn’t be apathetic about such a huge and relevant issue.