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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 19 - 25 October 2000 Issue No. 504 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 19 - 25 October 2000 Issue No. 504
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Palestine International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Travel Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Illusions of peace
It came as no surprise that Sharm Al-Sheikh did not deliver what the Arab people want: an end to Israeli violence, which verges on outright genocide, against the Palestinian people, and just retribution for the Israeli carnage of the past few weeks. Instead, there was an agreement to end this latest bout of Israeli violence, which has left over 120 dead and 3,000 injured, mostly Palestinians. There was an agreement to form a US-led fact-finding mission to investigate the reasons for the violence and another agreement to convene in Washington two weeks from now so as to review progress and possibly relaunch the "peace negotiations." As these agreements were made, violence continued in Palestine with little sign of abating.The lesson that can be learned from the valiant renewal of the Palestinian Intifada and its echoes all over the Arab world is that oppression can and will be resisted. It has become clear without a doubt that no peace can be born in a region which suffers the hegemony of brutal and oppressive forces.
The lesson for Arab leaders to learn from Sharm Al-Sheikh is that their ability to set their differences aside and take a unified and action-oriented stance during the upcoming Arab summit is crucial. The eyes of the Arab people who have been voicing their anger across the region for the past two weeks, in condemnation of both Israeli violence and the Sharm Al-Sheikh summit, will be glued to their performance.
It is up to the Palestinian leadership to resist the great pressure being exercised on them by the United States and Israel to sell out the rights of their people: those within Israeli borders, in self-rule territories and the refugees.
Egyptian diplomacy has already expressed its support of the Palestinian leadership. It is a commitment that was highlighted by the willingness to convene the Sharm Al-Sheikh summit after refusing to do so for two weeks, and by the opening statement in which President Hosni Mubarak condemned Israeli arrogance and inhumanity.
We require no less of other Arab nations; of the Arab summit, we demand much more.
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