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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 July 1999 Issue No. 438 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 July 1999 Issue No. 438
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Buying more time
By Nevine KhalilPresident Hosni Mubarak held more than two hours of talks over a working breakfast with Israel's new Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the port city of Alexandria. Last Friday's talks seemed to herald a thaw in Egyptian-Israeli relations which had suffered from sharp deterioration during the three years of former Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu's premiership. The talks, naturally, involved an exchange of views between Mubarak and Barak over the resumption of the stalled peace process.
By choosing Egypt as his first foreign destination after he was sworn in as premier last week, Barak meant to send a clear message that he wants to regain the confidence of his country's oldest regional peace partner.
Barak said he "deliberately" chose Egypt for his maiden trip abroad, because Cairo had "a unique role in establishing the peace process and a unique contribution at some of the more delicate moments in the process".
Barak, who as a veteran Israeli political and military figure is already well-known to Egypt's political leadership, expressed determination to resolve many pending issues in the peace process, re-launch all tracks soon and achieve tangible progress.
Addressing a joint press conference, Mubarak said that he has "great hopes" that during Barak's tenure, "the atmosphere could be changed, that there will be progress in the peace process [which] is vital, and a cornerstone for stability in the region." Mubarak said Barak was "a man of his word... I don't think there will be disappointment." The president added: "I believe he intends to implement previously signed agreements."
Asked by Al-Ahram Weekly whether he will adopt the anticipated strategy of implementing the Wye agreement, freezing settlements and launching all three remaining tracks simultaneously, Barak said that he needs a few weeks to decide on his strategy. "You're describing too-detailed a map for me at his stage," he said. "Israel basically abides by international agreements which have been [signed] by any previous government. I am determined to move forward on the peace process, not just in talk but in action."
The Israeli prime minister expressed confidence that opportunities will arise which "we have to exploit to bring new momentum to the peace process." This will take some time, Barak said, because he had yet to hold meetings with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (on Sunday, Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday, as well as US President Bill Clinton today). "Then we will be able to shape our approach," Barak said, urging Mubarak to help in this process.
Mubarak emphasised that Egypt's role will be "to narrow differences between the two sides." He said Cairo's efforts will continue, "without negotiating on behalf of the Palestinians, but rather assisting the peace process move forward."
Deliberate messages: Mubarak and Barak address the press in Alexandria
Barak explained that currently he is working on "understanding the situation" which will take "a few weeks [before] moving forward." The Egyptian president agreed that Barak should be given time, perhaps two months, to organise his coalition and draw up his peace strategy. "Give him some time to map out the situation," Mubarak said, adding that he expects negotiations on the Palestinian track to be re-launched soon. "All the people are waiting for progress," he pointed out.
Barak's experience during negotiations with the Palestinians under former Israeli prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, has made the new premier "realise the importance of progress in the peace process," Mubarak said.
Barak asserted that "the real intention" of his government is "to move forward in the peace process and [rebuild] trust". He vowed: "If peace could be achieved in the Middle East, we will achieve it." At the same time, Barak remained adamant on his settlements policy, deferring any discussion of this issue until final status negotiations. The Israeli prime minister said that his government "will not build new settlements," but added in the same breath that none of the existing ones will be dismantled. "The new government of Israel has clear guidelines [on settlements], the whole [issue] should be decided during final status agreements," Barak said. He said that settlements which were approved by previous governments, but not constructed "will be discussed, given proper attention and decided upon" at a later date by his government.
Insisting that he would "never hurt the security of Israel", Barak said that he was "ready and determined to make peace" with the leaders and people of the region.
While noting that Rabin was his "mentor and commander," and that he was "determined to follow in his footsteps," Barak already has indicated that his will be a different course from his predecessors. He called on any interested country to "contribute" to peacemaking in the region, but stressed that "the essence of the problem should be decided by the two partners, namely myself and Arafat." Barak said that although Israel seeks the "support and advice" of regional leaders and the US, "we are looking all around the world [to find] whoever can contribute. We will be glad to see their contribution."
The statements represented a clear break from traditional Israeli dependence on Washington as the main, and sometimes only, mediator or facilitator in the peace process. It also appeared to be an invitation for a more active role by Europe, which since the 1991 Madrid conference has been restricted to playing 'rich uncle' through the provision of economic assistance to negotiating parties.
During Netanyahu's tenure, the US played an increasingly central role in Middle East peacemaking, repeatedly sending envoys to the region as a result of the Likud government's procrastination. Netanyahu's hardline peace polices also caused the multilateral track and other regional integration processes such as the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) economic gatherings to be frozen. On Friday, Mubarak was non-committal on how soon such meetings could restart. "Let's leave this issue until Barak is [ready] and then we will discuss the details".
While maintaining that the Palestinian issue was at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Mubarak said that this should not mean that the Syrian and Lebanese negotiating tracks should be ignored. "We should not adopt the Palestinian problem, and neglect the other tracks," he told reporters. "We want negotiations to move on all tracks simultaneously because this will speed up the process and peace will be achieved more quickly than predicted."
Barak acknowledged that there were "high expectations" in the region, saying that he was "determined to look for ways to go forward without giving preference [to any particular track] and without leaving any track or any issue behind." He said that with the backing of the leaders and people of the region, negotiators will "make a serious effort to put an end to the 100-year conflict."
On the Syrian track, especially, Barak said he was "determined to turn every stone in order to find a way to go forward without risking our security or vital interests." Borrowing an expression often used by Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, Barak said that "it takes two to tango," calling for an intense effort by all parties to achieve peace.
However, a meeting between Barak and Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad is unlikely until Barak decides what approach to take in re-launching negotiations with the Syrians. Damascus insists that talks should resume at the point where they left off in early 1996, when the two sides had nearly reached agreement on a formula for Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
