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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 2 - 8 November 2000 Issue No. 506 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 2 - 8 November 2000 Issue No. 506
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region Interview International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Summer cloud
By Magdi Mehanna*
Palestinians and the Arabs in general have the right to disagree with Egypt and present their own views. Nobody can monopolise truth or wisdom, and it is no secret that Egypt has a very precise official standpoint on the recent events in Palestine. This was expressed by President Mubarak in many of his speeches: war is not an option, and war is what a cancellation of the 1979 Camp David agreement would, in effect, amount to.
Even the idea of cutting off diplomatic relations with Israel is not under consideration, because the results of such a move are thought to be potentially unfavourable for peace. Beyond these two conditions, Egypt will do everything in its power to support the Palestinians.
To criticise this position as too cautious is one thing; to level accusations at the Egyptian government and people, though, is quite another. In the context of the hubbub surrounding a Palestinian demonstration in which the Egyptian flag was burnt alongside posters of the president -- and to which the Egyptian press, reflecting the official position, gave a violent and exaggerated response -- one can only hope that what happened is, as Foreign Minister Amr Moussa stated, a "summer cloud" that will not deter Egyptian diplomacy.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is managing editor of Al-Wafd.© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
