Toward the end of Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip on Aug. 18, a group of highly regarded academics sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These educators, who come from the discipines of political science and international relations, called on Netanyahu to declare his acceptance of the 2002 Saudi Initiative, subject to reservations in four areas: Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, the demilitarization of the West Bank and Gaza and territorial swaps.

Their call was based on the realization that the most recent conflict with Hamas highlighted the existence of a moderate bloc in the Middle East, which fears the growing strength of Islamic extremist groups and the arming of Iran. This bloc includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States (apart from Qatar), Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League.

The 15 academics who signed the brief letter described the many advantages of such a move. According to them, accepting the Arab Initiative will, among other things, lead to the isolation of Hamas and the weakening of the Iran-Hezbollah-Syria-Gaza axis, while improving Israel’s reputation in the world.

Netanyahu has yet to respond to the letter and there are no indications that he intends to follow its advice. For their part, the professors have no intention of letting up. They consider this to be a rare and fleeting opportunity to improve the economic and security situation of Israel at a relatively low price. Other voices from both inside and outside the political system have expressed support for the professors’ letter. They all call for a return to the Arab Initiative, even though it has been ignored by almost every Israeli prime minister since its release.