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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Peace of the lame
By Salama Ahmed Salama
The Jerusalem Post found nothing in the Oslo meeting attended by Clinton, Arafat and Barak worth noting as an endeavour for the cause of peace. On the other hand, the newspaper presented Israel's success in launching an anti-missile rocket as an achievement that has opened new vistas of hope and asserted Israel's military competence in defending itself and its democratic achievements.
Israel has never tired of repeating that its military supremacy is the only way of guaranteeing peace with its neighbours in the Middle East. It has regarded any attempts on the part of the Arabs to build up their military defences as a direct threat to its security.
It came as no surprise, therefore, that the negotiations between Barak and Arafat should be yet another opportunity for Israel to bring pressure to bear on Arafat in the course of the step-by-step withdrawal scenario -- a scenario in which the most recent meeting in Oslo was held merely to stretch Palestinian resolve to breaking point, to see how many more of the Palestinians' few remaining rights could be whittled away. As the Jerusalem Post put it, Oslo was an opportunity to teach the Palestinian negotiators how to "adjust" to Israeli demands.
In much the same way, the Wye River agreement was eroded by the subsequent agreement in Sharm Al-Sheikh. President Clinton refused to heed Arafat's appeals that he order Barak to halt the unceasing expansion of settlements, which has led to the bizarre decision to evacuate 10 settlements out of 42. Those evacuated, moreover, have been left intact, ready for the settlers to return at a more opportune time. Clinton, elated by the festive spirit that prevailed in Oslo, was enthralled as Barak droned out his notorious four refusals: no to the return of Jerusalem, no to the dismantling of settlements, no to the return to the 1967 lines and no to any non-Israeli military presence in the West Bank. In return, Barak said, Israel would recognise the establishment of a Palestinian state on 18 per cent of the West Bank and 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip.
According to the Sharm Al-Sheikh agreement, Israel was to have pulled out of three per cent of the West Bank by the end of the third transitional period. But Israel is now arguing that it will only withdraw from one per cent of the territory -- and that, on condition that the Palestinian Authority abide by its promises to halt all criticism of Israeli policies and alter the academic curriculum to suit Israel's version of history. In other words, Israel is determined to stifle Palestinian voices, especially Arafat's.
Thus has the "peace of the brave" culminated in "the peace of the lame". In point of fact, there will be nothing left to negotiate in the final status stage. The targets of the "peace process" -- developing a framework agreement by February, and concluding the final agreement by September 2000 -- seem very feasible in terms of time. This is the miracle that Barak the prophet has promised to deliver.
