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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 Lebanon wary of 'premature optimism'
By Zeina KhodrThere is optimism in the region that peace negotiations between Israel and the Arabs will move forward following Ehud Barak's accession to power. But that feeling was not shared in Lebanon. Prime Minister Selim Al-Hoss criticised Barak for his failure to commit himself to an unconditional withdrawal from south Lebanon or restart peace talks where they left off.
"I do not want to be pessimistic when many are expressing optimism about the possibility of resuming the peace process," Hoss said. "But I noted Barak's omission of Resolution 425 which calls for an unconditional Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in his first public address. When he talked about withdrawing from Lebanon within a year, he only focused on preserving the security of northern Israel." The Lebanese media also cautioned against what they called "premature optimism."
They urged the Arabs not to pin high hopes on Barak's calls for peace because his policies and tactics are still unknown. "It is still too early and soon Barak's actions will speak louder than his intentions," the An-Nahar daily wrote.
But Lebanon's reaction to the prospect of renewed talks contrasted with that of Syria, which wields great political and military influence in the country. Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad immediately responded to Barak's appeal for Syria to become his peace partner by saying "his [Barak's] accession to power was an opportunity for constructive efforts towards comprehensive peace."
"Assad is very anxious to reach a peace deal with Israel, because he does not want his successor to be saddled with the task," an Israeli intelligence chief Amos Malka was quoted as saying. "Assad is busy grooming his son to take over, and feels that peace with Israel would make his heir's transition to power smoother."
While Hoss acknowledged Israel's renewed commitment to the cease-fire understanding, he said his government's "wariness was based on past bitter experiences with Israel. We have to adopt a wait and see attitude." Barak overturned the decision of former defence minister Moshe Arens to boycott sessions of the monitoring group that observes the cease-fire understanding in south Lebanon.
Observers played down the differing stances of Beirut and Damascus. "The Lebanese position stems from its past experiences with Israel. It does not trust Israel nor its intentions," Ibrahim Haidar, a political analyst told Al-AhramWeekly. "But Lebanon has made clear its long standing policy that it will coordinate with Syria in peace talks. They have reaffirmed the unity of their tracks."
Western diplomats are suggesting the most difficult part of restarting Syrian-Israeli talks will be arranging a period of calm in south Lebanon during which Israel would begin its withdrawal. There are fears in Lebanon that this is exactly what Barak will request as a gesture of good will before sitting at the negotiating table with Lebanon and Syria. "We rule out this possibility," MP Ali Al-Khalil, the head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee told the Weekly. "Resistance operations will not end because we reserve the right of resistance for as long as there are Israeli soldiers on our soil. The resistance is a very basic card in our hands. It is a means of liberation and a means of supporting our stand in the negotiations."
But Lebanon and Syria have come under pressure which they have apparently heeded, Haidar explained. "When Israel attacked Lebanon's infrastructure last month -- that was a message and it seems Syria pressured Hizbullah to stop operations for the time being, maybe until Barak formed his government."
Simon Karam, a former ambassador to the US believes that even if negotiations resume, it is doubtful that Lebanon would have a major role to play. "There could be a Lebanese delegation sitting at the table but they will probably just be repeating the stated policies of Syria."
There is a feeling among observers here that Lebanon will pay the price of peace. "It seems that if negotiations commence between Syria and Israel discussions will center on the Golan issue," Haidar said. "The Lebanese track will be an addendum to the results of negotiations with Syria."
It is still too early to say whether negotiations will resume in the near future. When they do it is believed here that pressure will be exerted on Lebanon from both sides. First the resistance will use their attacks and Israel may carry out a partial withdrawal from the south to try to split the Lebanese and Syrian tracks.
