 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons The president's visit
I notice that the general mood in the region seems to have changed quite profoundly since President Mubarak began his trip to the US. In the space of a few brief days, a sense of anticipation has replaced the prevailing feeling of apprehension and frustration, caused by repeated disappointments and the failure to make any true progress on the peace process.
We had passed through a tense time in the past few months, during which work toward a peaceful settlement with Israel ground to a halt and the cycle of violence began once more. Those who had thought Barak's government would move seriously toward peace were sorely disappointed, while those who had doubted his promises felt vindicated, if bitter.
Still, as Mubarak kicked off his US visit, the stagnant waters of regional relations were stirred, and began to flow in the right direction at last. Issues that had been buried have been exhumed once more, and Israel immediately announced its imminent withdrawal from a portion of Palestinian land, which it will hand over to the PA. This decision is clearly timed to coincide with the president's visit, no matter what claims are made to the contrary.
It is true that many matters will require time before a solution can be found; a case in point is withdrawal from the Golan, where the stumbling block is Israel's refusal to abide by the pre-1967 borders. Here the problem is one of trust, and this only time can fix. Israel believes that Syria, upon retrieving the Golan, will immediately attack, but the truth is that Syria's territory will be returned to it in the context of a peace arrangement, which by definition precludes a military sequel.
On the other hand, we believed that many issues were more or less over and done with, especially on the Palestinian track; yet they are still unresolved, due to the recent crises.
In this respect, President Mubarak's visit to America will have a great, perhaps inestimable, impact. I feel certain that it will provide the necessary impetus for a resolution.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
