Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 30 Nov. - 6 Dec. 2000 Issue No.510

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Underlining 'a clear message'

By Nevine Khalil

A flurry of diplomatic activity took place this week when President Hosni Mubarak consulted with Jordan's King Abdullah, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri. Mubarak also met with Israeli envoy Danny Yatom, an adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, to discuss Cairo's decision to recall its ambassador from Israel, Mohamed Bassiouni.

The diplomatic activities began with a briefing by Bassiouni to Mubarak on the latest developments in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Bassiouni was recalled by Cairo over a week ago in protest against Israel's "excessive use of force against the Palestinians."

Mubarak told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassa that Bassiouni's recall was "a clear message" of displeasure regarding Tel Aviv's policies. Egypt withdrew its ambassador to Israel 18 years ago in protest at the latter's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

"Israel's actions are just too much to take and the situation has become intolerable," said Mubarak. "The oppression of the Palestinian people and the arrogant use of force have negative repercussions for the whole region. We repeatedly advised Israel against using excessive force. It is pushing the Palestinians towards the point of absolute despair and ultimately there will be an explosion."

Ironically, the president continued, Barak has prided himself on the fact that Israel was using unprecedentedly excessive force against the Palestinians.

"Never has an Israeli government used such great force against the Palestinians, such as using rockets and tanks," Barak told Israel Radio on Sunday.

In the newspaper interview, Mubarak also warned that the ongoing violence was undermining Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Authority, which spells disaster for peace and stability in the region.

"The current situation will weaken Arafat and the moderate camp. If Arafat is no longer there it will be a disaster," noted Mubarak. "It will mean the absence of the moderates."

Bassiouni's recall and how to revive the peace negotiations on the Palestinian-Israeli track were at the centre of talks on Sunday between Mubarak and Yatom. The latter carried a written message from Barak and flew back with Mubarak's written response after 45 minutes of talks. Barak's office said that Yatom visited Cairo to discuss ways of ending the bloodshed and reviving dialogue between the two countries.

"Israeli-Egyptian relations, particularly Egypt's decision to recall its ambassador, formed part of the conversation," said Ayellet Yehiav, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. He declined to say whether any progress had been made.

By receiving Yatom on Sunday, Cairo honoured a pledge to continue peace efforts despite its own downturn in relations with Israel. A day earlier, Mubarak had held talks with Arafat, who was on his way back from visits to Russia and Jordan. Arafat briefed Mubarak on his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ideas discussed in Moscow for ending the two-month-old violence, which has killed nearly 300 Palestinians and injured some 8,000.

While the United States was busy counting and recounting ballots in the presidential elections there, Russia tried to activate its role as co-sponsor of the peace process. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov recently toured the region, but he made it clear this week that Moscow was not putting forward any proposals. Ivanov said Russia would back an international peace-keeping force to try to reduce the violence, but denied his country had a new peace plan. However, there was a semblance of progress when Arafat, while in Putin's office, spoke to Barak by telephone and the two men agreed to resume Palestinian-Israeli security coordination on the ground and revive the work of 10 joint liaison offices.

Consultations continued between Cairo and Washington, despite the fact that the peace process has been put on the back burner. The outgoing US administration has all but lost hope of crowning eight years of President Bill Clinton's mediation in the Middle East with a final peace agreement.

Mubarak's chief political adviser Osama El-Baz denied that Washington was pressuring Cairo to send Bassiouni back to Tel Aviv quickly.

"No one can impose on us how to deal with Israel or any other country," El-Baz said. "Egypt's regional role does not hinge on whether we have an ambassador in one country or another."

After meeting Arafat on Saturday, Mubarak discussed the explosive situation in the region with Lebanon's Al-Hariri. Both men agreed that "Israel's aggression against the Palestinians has delivered a blow to the heart of the peace process," Hariri told reporters after the meeting. "Nobody talks about peace and kills children. Israel's bombing of Palestinians complicates matters and destroys peace." Nonetheless, the Lebanese prime minister expressed hope that Israel would "reverse its actions" and return to the negotiating table.

The next day, Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab countries which signed peace agreements with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively, compared notes on how to stem the bloodshed during a meeting between Mubarak and King Abdullah. Amman has delayed dispatching its new ambassador to Tel Aviv, who was named last month, in an indication of its disapproval of Israeli policies.

Related stories:
'There are limits' 23 - 29 November 2000
The cost of vengeance 23 - 29 November 2000
Intifada in focus 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2000
Intifada special 19 - 25 October 2000

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