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Politics/headline news
Something other than a summit
by Tarek Atia
(cairolive.com, August 2, 2001)
After meeting Palestinian President Yasser Arafat yesterday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he did not support the idea of hosting an Arab summit in light of a recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's attack on a Palestinian building on Tuesday, which killed eight people, including two small children, has brought into clear focus the Israeli assassination policy which bodes ill for the chances of peace being achieved between the two sides.
The United States now stands before a unanimous wave of global condemnation of Israeli policy, and the world awaits to see how Washington will respond to ceaseless Israeli actions which practically eliminate any efforts at diplomacy.
"The more a Middle East solution is delayed the more vicious the situation will become," Mubarak said, sounding a clear call for monitors to be sent to the region.
A press conference at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning between Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher also gave some indication as to the current state of Egyptian and Arab diplomacy in the face of the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Moussa, Maher's predecessor at the Foreign Ministry, on his first visit back since assuming his new post as the Arab League chief, described the current situation as extremely worrying. In response to a question regarding how the Arab League might respond to such a dangerous situation, Moussa said it does not necessarily require taking this or that action, but rather serious discussions to quickly
reach agreement on certain issues.
Moussa indicated that the Arab reaction has not risen to the levels required by the danger of Israeli actions. Maher explained that "the situation can not continue without an Arab reaction and a strong position."
With the crisis in the Middle East moving towards what Moussa called "a worst case scenario", Yasser Arafat has been touring Arab capitals, and is today in Italy, trying to drum up support for both the hosting of an emergency summit, and the sending of observers to help implement a cease-fire between the two sides.
Responding to a question about whether the current situation had led to a condition of despair, Maher said that those who work in diplomacy can not fall prey to optimism, pessimism, or anything else, but must continue working to find a solution. "Psychological
conditions, I think," Maher said, "are outside the scope of the political work we are doing."
The United States is at the fulcrum of the equation at present. An editorial in the Washington Post clearly calls on the US administration to more strenly indicate to Sharon that his policies are unacceptable:
"Washington has been mixed in its messages to Mr. Sharon," The Post
says. "It condemns attacks like those of Tuesday but shies away from applying serious pressure. For now, Mr. Sharon finds it easier to ignore the White House than his domestic hard-liners. The Bush administration will need to change that equation if it is to prevent the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from escalating still further."
Similar sentiment have been echoed by Arafat, Mubarak, and European leaders in the months since Sharon has been hell-bent on escalation rather than negotiation.
Arab League spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi is quoted in the Jerusalem Post calling for the league to take stronger measures against Israel: "The Arab League should face their responsibility... It should act... immediately [by] boycotting Israel economically, politically, and diplomatically."
Moussa's visit to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday was in fact part of the new secretary-general's efforts to reinvigorate the moribund institution and make it a more active player in the Middle East political scene. Responding to critics who argue that his plan to upgrade the Arab League is merely cosmetic, Moussa denied that the improvements were superficial. The upgrade is practical and essential, he said, and has not only taken
place on a general level but on the specifics as well. "There are consultancy offices and specialized organizations helping us," he said.
The two diplomats also discussed the upcoming Arab foreign ministers meeting, and this fall's first Arab economic summit, which will be held in Cairo. The press conference began with polite formalities that belied recent confusion over comments Maher had made that some had interpreted as critical of Arab League recommendations to cut off high-level political contacts with Israel. Egypt, in attempts to defuse the current crisis,
remains in contact with top Israeli officials.
Speaking at the beginning of the conference, Maher indicated his pleasure at receiving the former foreign minister -- his predecessor -- at his "home." Maher said he and Moussa are always in agreement when they meet, both on an official level in respect to their positions, but also as friends and colleagues. For his part, Moussa also indicated his pleasure at being back in the Ministry with his friend Maher to discuss the details of the ongoing improvements in the Arab League.
Did you like this article? Send your comments to comments@cairolive.com
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