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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Basic compliance
Egypt has stated repeatedly that the Palestinian issue is at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and that a comprehensive peace in the region can only be reached through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
In defending the Palestinian cause, Egypt lost the Sinai Peninsula (twice) and Syria the Golan Heights. Lebanon, meanwhile, continues to pay a daily price for its support, as it resists the Israeli occupation of the south, and for refusing an exclusive peace with Israel. All the Arab countries have felt the impact of developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Now, a settlement is being negotiated with Israel to end five decades of war and confrontation. The Arab countries have to continue to coordinate their strategies and share their ideas on how to attain a just and permanent solution to this conflict. It remains a puzzle to the majority of average Arab citizens, however, that their leaders have not met on the highest level to confirm their commitment to a just settlement and agree on the best strategy to reach this goal.
Israel is always the beneficiary of Arab disagreement. Despite official statements from Palestinian and Syrian officials that there must be no conflict between the two tracks, and that progress on either will benefit the other, behind closed doors, many Arab officials and observers are worried that Israel will use the competition between them to gain concessions from both sides.
Egypt's efforts in assuring a minimum level of Arab coordination has been a cornerstone of its regional policy over the past 19 years. Only this week, President Mubarak visited Syria and Jordan. Last month, he visited Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Hopefully, the Arab leaders will respond soon to Egypt's efforts and agree on a summit meeting at this critical stage. This summit will focus on Arab rights. We are being pressured to observe sanctions against other Arab nations in the name of international law and the consensus of the international community. The least we expect is similar compliance when it comes to settling the Arab-Israeli conflict.
