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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Dealing with Disney
By Rasha SaadContrary to expectations, the Arab League said on Saturday that it would not boycott Walt Disney Corp products for hosting an Israeli exhibition that depicts Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Arab foreign ministers who met on Friday on the fringes of the UN General Assembly annual session in New York, decided to accept assurances they had received from Disney executives that the controversial exhibition at Disney's theme park in Florida will take the Arab view into consideration and will not make mention of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The giant entertainment company also welcomed the construction of a Palestinian display that would focus on their rights to the holy city occupied by Israel.
"We are not discussing a boycott... We deem the response of Walt Disney to delete any reference to Jerusalem being the capital city of Israel to be an important step on their part," said Esmat Abdel-Meguid, secretary-general of the Arab League.
Abdel-Meguid's spokesman, Talaat Hamed, hailed the measures as a victory for the Arabs. "It is a great victory and a remarkable decision that the Palestinians will be able to have their own exhibit at Disney. This is counter-propaganda against the Israelis," he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Hamed also urged the Arabs to support the Palestinian exhibit both financially and spiritually. "We have accomplished our part, now it is the part of the Arabs to support the Palestinian exhibit."
The Arab League had threatened to boycott Walt Disney unless all references to Jerusalem as Israel's capital were removed. The call was supported by many Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
According to Arab League officials, the Palestinian Authority will have a presence at the exhibition though it has not yet been decided whether it would be subsumed within existing Arab pavilions or stand independently. Saudi Arabia and Morocco are the only two Arab countries which have their own pavilions in the Disney exhibition in celebration of the new millennium.
Mohamed Sobeih, Palestinian ambassador to the Arab League, expressed doubts over Disney sticking to its assurances. "I trust the words of the secretary-general [who said that he received written guarantees from Disney] however I do not trust Disney." Sobeih explained to the Weekly that in addition to the fact that Disney has a past background in offending the Arabs, they refused a Palestinian request in April to mount their own "Bethlehem 2000 exhibition... Disney only accepted [the Palestinian display] after Arab pressure, which makes us expect some deceit on their part."
Sobeih also noted that Israel maintains that it has persuaded Disney to uphold the contents of the exhibit as it stands.
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Saturday denied that Israel had backed down in its battle with Arab countries over the status of Jerusalem as represented at the Walt Disney theme park. "Anyone who visits the Israeli exhibit at Epcot will have no doubt that Jerusalem is and remains Israel's capital," read an Israeli Foreign Ministry statement.
US-based Arab-Islamic groups also criticised the performance of the League and told the Weekly that they have not changed their position which favours an embargo on Disney.
According to Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muslim organisations did not call off the boycott. She added that there will be a demonstration in front of the Epcot exhibit, with volunteers passing out leaflets to provide information on Arab Jerusalem absent from the exhibition.
"There is general dismay at the lack of political will to achieve meaningful results and changes in the exhibit. Expectations were much higher. Speaking from the American Muslim perspective, we were hoping to get strong official backing [from the Arab League]. We've conducted campaigns with Nike and Burger King and got good results."
Khaled Turaani, executive director of American Muslims for Jerusalem was equally disappointed. "After the Arab League's decision not to act, I was wondering, as a Muslim and an Arab, that if the Arab League can not stand up to Mickey Mouse, how can they stand up to Israel's attempts to annex Jerusalem?" he said. "I call upon Saudi Arabia and Morocco to use their exhibits to right the wrongs committed by the Israeli exhibit. The boycott is continuing. We will announce where we now stand by this Friday."
The future of East or Arab Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the Palestinian-Israeli final status talks. East Jerusalem was part of Arab territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 War. Palestinians, backed by Arab countries, insist on Israel's withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied in 1967 and consider East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state. Israel, however, unilaterally annexed the city and declared Jerusalem as its "eternal and indivisible" capital. This move has not been recognised by the international community.
Arab divisions over a solution to the Disney dispute were clear during last Wednesday's extraordinary meeting of the Arab League's media committee when these divisions reportedly caused a delay in announcing recommendations. Participants finally reached a compromise formula which called for an extraordinary meeting of Arab information ministers and support for the Arab exhibits at Epcot.
The UAE which led calls for a boycott against Disney, welcomed the deal on a Palestinian exhibit announced by Abdel-Meguid. However, its information minister said that the Arabs could have gained more concessions from Disney.
The UAE press criticised the 22-member Arab League for failing to agree to a boycott of Disney products and said it had cast doubts on Arab solidarity. The daily Al-Khaleej commented harshly: "Taking a decision not to boycott before being certain that the American company was going to accept Arab demands reflects hastiness, a compromise and a retreat."
Meanwhile, Arab League spokesman, Hamed, did not exclude the possibility of a boycott should Disney renege on the deal, "We have to cross that bridge when we come to it. If Disney does not fulfill its promises there is always the option of a boycott," he said.
Additional reporting by Tarek Atia in Washington
