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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439
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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 Focus Interview Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Rapid riposte
YESTERDAY, Egypt strongly reaffirmed its support for the peace process, while emphasising that the existing parameters are intended to ensure a comprehensive and just settlement, and are therefore not negotiable.The statement was made by Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, who earlier this week had described certain comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during his visit to Washington as opening the door to Arab scepticism as to whether Israel really is determined to forge ahead with the peace process in the form that has been agreed upon.
Moussa's remarks drew a rapid riposte from Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy, who said that such a line of argument could only be highly destructive.
Yesterday Moussa responded by saying that all that Cairo said and did was intended to support a process which could actually lead to a comprehensive peace deal. Moussa reaffirmed that Egypt is presently working to revive the peace process, and hopes that the new Israeli government will make an equivalent effort.
One diplomatic source told Al-Ahram Weekly, "Levy's criticism could be read as a clear attempt to marginalise Egyptian involvement in the next phase of Arab-Israeli negotiations."
July Day
LAUNCHING the 23 July anniversary celebrations, President Hosni Mubarak will give a televised address to the nation this morning to mark the 1952 Revolution.The president's speech will review the achievements of the 47-year-old revolution, led by Gamal Abdel-Nasser. The address will be aired at 10am on the main television and radio channels.
Closing ranks
IN A NEW flurry of Middle East diplomacy, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is set to meet long-standing radical rivals, based in Syria, to try to close ranks before negotiating with Israel's new leader Ehud Barak.Palestinian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nabil Amr said Arafat will soon meet George Habash, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Nayef Hawatmeh, leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). Both leaders confirmed that contact was made on Tuesday to set up a meeting, but added that no date or place had yet been agreed.
Hawatmeh told Reuters in Damascus that the DFLP wanted the Palestinian Authority to open a new page in talks with Israel based on UN resolutions that call for the return of all Palestinian refugees and to revive PLO institutions.
