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Al-Ahram Weekly 29 June - 5 July 2000 Issue No. 488 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 29 June - 5 July 2000 Issue No. 488
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A day in the peace process
By Nevine KhalilOn Sunday, President Hosni Mubarak had breakfast with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, lunched with outgoing Israeli President Ezer Weizman and then held talks with Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, who was carrying a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The topic of discussion in all three meetings was the stalled Palestinian track and a proposed three-way summit in Washington that would bring together US President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Barak.
During the course of the lunch-time talks, Mubarak and Weizman discussed both the Palestinian and Syrian tracks of the peace process. On the Syrian track, negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv ground to a halt in January. With the recent death of President Hafez Al-Assad and the rise to power of his son, Bashar, there is greater hope that the impasse can be breached.
At a joint news conference, Mubarak and Weizman had kind words and high hopes for Bashar. "I believe that the new president in Syria, being a younger man, an academician, a doctor and basically not a military man, must be a good man," said Weizman. "I am optimistic on what to expect from Damascus in the next year or two."
Mubarak expressed his confidence that Bashar will be "strong, steady and a very good president." He also stressed that "the rumours of a fragile regime are wrong." The presidency of Bashar Al-Assad will be officially endorsed in a nationwide referendum in July.
Commenting on the stability of the Israeli government and its ability to deliver a final peace accord with the Palestinians, Weizman said that the Barak government is united "as much as possible around the peace process." Yet, he noted that it was "very difficult to unite the people" due to "highly ideological problems" within the government coalition, which could lead to early elections.
When asked directly about Israeli foot-dragging in the peace process, Mubarak refused to address the issue stating, "Let's not create problems. It's very complicated." Mubarak continued, "I encourage Barak, I try to help him as much as I can, but the peace process must make progress."
Walking slowly with the help of a cane, the outgoing Israeli president was in Cairo on what is expected to be his last official visit. Flying into Cairo, Israeli President Weizman had told reporters aboard his plane that he would discuss the release of Azam Azam, an Israeli Druze sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 1997 for spying. Weizman reportedly met with Azam's family at Tel Aviv airport before leaving for Cairo. Weizman is to stand down from his largely ceremonial post on 10 July, three years ahead of schedule, after narrowly avoiding prosecution for alleged corruption and tax fraud. Israel's Knesset will choose a new president on 31 July. Mubarak, who has known Weizman for over two decades, described him as "one of the major helpful factors in the peace process," alluding to Egyptian-Israeli negotiations in the late 1970s when Weizman was defence minister. As president, he was a "pacifying factor and mediator in reaching a comprehensive peace," Mubarak noted.
President Hosni Mubarak meets Israeli President Ezer Weizman (far left); with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (top) and Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin (left) for talks on the stalled Palestinian track
photos: Borham El-Bagoury, Ahmed Afifi and Abdel-Sattar Youssef
During the breakfast talks, Arafat briefed Mubarak on the results of US envoy Dennis Ross's mission. Ross had proposed a delay of the Israeli troop withdrawal and the Palestinians agreed to a two-week delay beyond the 23 June target of the third and final territorial hand-over according to interim agreements. Following up on the Ross mission, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived in the region on Tuesday to buy time and narrow gaps in preparation for the proposed summit.
Mubarak expressed hope that the Washington summit would "bridge the gap in order to reach a solution."
Final status negotiations are expected to be extremely complicated. Issues yet to be resolved include the fate of Palestinian prisoners, the return of the 1948 refugees, the status of Jerusalem and final borders. "I hope they can reach a compromise, but this requires time," Mubarak said.
The proposed Washington summit would aim at formulating an outline to implement a peace treaty by the 13 September Palestinian deadline. Arafat has repeatedly vowed to declare statehood on that day, regardless of whether the final status negotiations are completed or not. Hours after returning from Cairo, Arafat affirmed this position, saying that the Palestinian state will be declared "in a few weeks."
With Weizman by his side, Mubarak said Egypt will stand behind any Palestinian decision regarding a unilateral declaration of statehood. "If the Palestinian state is declared, we will recognise it, of course, under any circumstances," Mubarak said.
Shortly before Arafat's arrival in Cairo, Barak telephoned Mubarak to discuss the Palestinian track. They exchanged views on recent discussions between the Palestinians and Israelis, especially that Arafat has accused Barak of intentionally scuttling talks. The Palestinian president has complained that Israeli peace negotiators lack the necessary mandate "to achieve concrete results in the ongoing negotiations."
During talks on Sunday, Mubarak and Arafat demanded that Israel carry out promised withdrawals from the West Bank, underlining the importance of implementing the third stage of the Israeli troop re-deployment. Finally on Sunday, Beilin delivered a personal message from Barak. Then Mubarak and the Israeli justice minister continued the discussion of problems frustrating the peace process.
