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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 Feb. - 1 March 2000 Issue No. 470 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 Feb. - 1 March 2000 Issue No. 470
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Focus Heritage Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Bomb shadows
By Graham UsherHow would you characterise Israeli-Egyptian relations today, 20 years after the first Israeli Embassy opened in Cairo?
Well, first there is still a sense of change, which for me was symbolised by the sight of the Egyptian flag flying on top of the King David Hotel on 17 November 1977 -- the day before Sadat arrived in Jerusalem. There is the fact that Israelis can travel to Egypt without difficulty, and that thousands of Israelis each year take their vacations in the Sinai, for their benefit and the benefit of Egypt.
But there is still no real mixing of the peoples. And this, I think, is because Israel is not part of the Middle East, culturally, historically or even economically. Israel's main export markets are the US and Europe. And culturally Israelis aspire to be American or, to a much lesser extent, European. Even Israeli Jews from the Arab countries see the US as the ideal type of society, rather than their Mediterranean countries of origin.
At the political level Egypt sees Israel as competing with it for hegemony over the Middle East. It is particularly concerned that peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan and Syria will come at the expense of its historical regional role and status.
I do not see any grounds for these fears. But to accommodate them I think Israel should make it clear that it does not seek membership of the Arab League. Israel should rather participate in any Mediterranean forum, which would include not only Arab countries in North Africa, but also the states of southern Europe. This is where Israel would find its natural location.
Israel should also emphasise that it sees Egypt as very important for peace in the region, and that no peace will endure without it. Precisely because Israel cannot be part of the Arab system, it needs bridges to Egypt. There should be regular meetings between Israeli and Egyptian leaders, meetings born out of mutual interests rather than crises. This is what I mean by normalisation.
There has been much discussion in Egypt recently about the shape of Egyptian-Israeli relations in a post-peace Middle East. For Egypt, the crucial issue then would be agreements governing nuclear disarmament. Would Israel be prepared to accept such agreements?
The hand-shake that changed history in the region; Sadat, Carter and Begin rejoice in the signing of the peace treaty between Eypt and Israel on 26 March 1979
In the long run, perhaps, but not as a first stage. The first stage must be a domestic discussion in Israeli society about its nuclear capabilities.
Ridiculous as it may sound, Arab states know more about Israel's nuclear option than do the Israelis themselves. Israel's "vague and veiled" policy towards its nuclear weapons has prevented all public discussion not only about their operational capability -- which may be legitimate -- but also about inspections, accidents that have happened and the environmental damage caused by nuclear power.
I am for this discussion. But a public discussion of these matters would have to precede any disarmament discussion with other states. On the basis of this internal debate, I can see Israel down the road entering an international system of agreements and inspections. What I cannot see is an Israel accepting complete disarmament of its nuclear weapons. Even among those -- like myself -- who want a public debate on the nuclear issue, there are deep fears that a complete disarmament would leave Israel vulnerable to any hostile state.
I know Egyptians will not take kindly to such a prediction. For them, disarmament is not a conspiracy to disarm Israel the better to attack it. They see it as necessary because Israel is a very strong power and the Arabs are afraid of this power.
Israel cannot ignore these fears. But for the immediate future the most that can be expected is a public debate in Israel on nuclear weapons and perhaps some move to an international system of inspection.
