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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 January 2000 Issue No. 464 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 January 2000 Issue No. 464
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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By Salama Ahmed Salama
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Special Books Profile Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
Bilateral US-Israeli negotiations are taking place parallel to the Syrian-Israeli track, which is being monitored intensively by the US, engaging the personal efforts of President Clinton himself when such efforts are necessary. The success of the US-Israeli track, which revolves around the list of Israeli demands in terms of financial and military assistance to be provided by the US, seems to be the condition for the success of the Syrian-Israeli talks and for the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
Israel's negotiating style -- largely based on blackmail -- is one of the factors delaying and distorting negotiations with Syria, and preventing the four specialised committees from pursuing their task. The committees were established following an agreement that the final aim of the negotiations was for Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights within a framework of security measures for both parties. Under the pretext of preempting any possible threat to its security after its projected withdrawal from the Golan, Israel sought to obtain the most US assistance possible in its bid to exchange withdrawal for security measures or normalisation. Thus, it would hit two birds with a single stone.
Israel's policy of blackmail will undoubtedly help it achieve its objectives. It has already started claiming the price of its withdrawal, and compensation for the Jewish settlers who will be evacuated from the Golan. Total claims were tentatively estimated at $10 billion, then increased to $25 billion before soaring to $60 billion.
An article in Ha'aretz detailed Israel's military purchases, which consist of missiles, defence systems, and other "essential items". In other words, peace for Israel is nothing more than an armed armistice. Israel is simply trying to increase its military power in the region and to extract as much assistance as it can from the US and Europe, notwithstanding the fact that average per capita income in Israel is no less than per capita income in any country in Western Europe. According to Israel's logic, furthermore, Syria should be entitled to compensation for the 200 villages eradicated by Israel in the Golan. Syria is also entitled to request from the US an extensive list of sophisticated weapons.
A recent report published by a strategy centre in Tel Aviv on the eve of the Israeli-Syrian negotiations acknowledges the fact that Syria does not pose a threat. Israel's military supremacy is now absolute; it is the only state in the region that possesses the most modern deterrence capabilities available, as well as state-of-the-art information technology.
Israel's demands for further security guarantees are placing direct pressure on the US to reduce its intervention and stop insisting on a peace agreement that guarantees Israel's withdrawal from the Golan. Within this context, we should not be surprised at the latest US proposal to conclude a mutual defence agreement in order to extricate itself from the necessity of paying Israel the price for peace in the form of an exorbitantly costly package of sophisticated weapons. Moreover, the mutual defence agreement may not be the last of the schemes for the region. There is talk of a more comprehensive regional security system that would include Israel as well as the Arab countries. We may be the last to learn of it.
