22 - 28 October 1998
Issue No.400
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 22 - 28 October 1998 Issue No.400 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
The use of force
The appointment of Ariel Sharon as Israel's foreign minister came as a shock. With negotiating partners like him, who needs enemies? It is difficult to imagine a situation worse than the one we are in at present; Israel has refused all suggestions which could have led to a peaceful solution, or even to a deal the Palestinians could accept. It has even backed down from commitments made by the government currently in power, not to mention agreements signed by its predecessors. What more can Sharon refuse?
Sharon's appointment also reflects the growing influence of extremist elements in the Israeli regime. Yet it seems possible that this government is the only one capable of making a clear-cut deal with the Palestinians: if things cannot get any worse, there is a kind of cold comfort in the idea that Netanyahu's successor will not be able to demand or forcibly extract more concessions on the Palestinians' part. Israeli public opinion is now overwhelmingly in favour of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Furthermore, Ehud Barak, the leader of the Labour Party, recently announced that he would back the government in the event of an agreement. Sometimes extremist governments are the only ones that can push through an agreement. This has been my experience: I recall the 1936 Treaty, which a Conservative British government signed, while the Labour government had been unable to do so.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy. |