10 - 16 January 2002
Issue No.568
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 10 - 16 January 2002 Issue No.568 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Voices for peace
Cairo's sustained call for the rapid implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations may be falling on deaf ears, reports Soha Abdelaty
The sharp decline in incidents of violence in the occupied territories and Israel over the past three weeks has given hope that a cease-fire might finally take hold.
Egypt has also been presented with the opportunity to insist that, since the Palestinian Authority (PA) has lived up to its part of the deal, it is time for the Israeli government to deliver on its promises -- to begin the implementation of the Mitchell recommendations and Tenet framework, which would pave the way for the resumption of peace negotiations.
Despite US and Israeli claims that terrorist incidents have not come to a complete halt and that the PA can do more, Egyptian officials feel the Palestinian side has already done enough. "What the Palestinians have done is sufficient. It is impossible to have a complete cessation of all skirmishes," Osama El-Baz, political adviser to the president, said in answer to a question by Al-Ahram Weekly on Saturday. An example of good intentions on the part of the Palestinians, El-Baz said, was the speech PA President Yasser Arafat delivered on 16 December, in which he called on the Palestinians to stop all violence, followed by his arrest of Palestinian activists suspected of engaging in acts of violence.
When representatives of the Israeli peace camp visited Egypt this week to discuss means of cooperation to achieve peace, Egyptian officials relayed this message to them. Yossi Sarid, head of the Meretz movement, and Yossi Belin, former Israeli minister of justice, held talks with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and El-Baz on Sunday.
Before meeting with the two men, Maher told reporters that they had come upon their own request. Maher said he welcomed the meeting because he was "always willing to listen to rational voices coming from Israel, which have their effect on Israeli society." He added that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's policies have not led to security, but rather, to an increase in violence. "This has made the proponents of peace in Israel realise the danger of continuing the status quo and the importance of taking action," Maher said.
But even though the Egyptian and Israeli peace camps agreed on the main issues, some differences in opinion were apparent. Sarid and Belin were careful to point out that they remain sceptical of Palestinian efforts and are waiting to see more positive initiatives from the Palestinian side. "The problem is that the Israeli peace camp is being asked constantly whether we have a partner. We do have a partner, by definition, because we have to negotiate with the Palestinians. The leader of the Palestinian side is undoubtedly Yasser Arafat. But then we are asked whether this partner is credible; is trustworthy. And the burden of proof at the present moment is on the shoulder of Mr Arafat," Sarid told the Weekly.
According to Maher, the two Israeli politicians did not come with a concrete proposal, but to exchange views on what could be done to promote peace and resume the peace negotiations. Sarid explained further, "We would like to see the Israeli peace camp cooperating very closely with the Egyptian peace camp, the Jordanian peace camp and the Palestinian peace camp." He said that, recently, the Israeli and Palestinian peace camps signed agreements creating a peace coalition with joint headquarters whose mandate is to work towards the common cause of establishing peace.
"The Israeli peace camp exerts diligent efforts, but the voices of peace become inaudible when violence prevails between the two sides," El-Baz explained to reporters on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Israeli proponents of peace claim they have not given up and that the time is now more ripe than ever for making their move. "We believe that the last two weeks were very promising-- relative quiet was established. We are very much encouraged by it. I can assure you that public opinion in Israel looks to the relative quiet very favourably," Sarid said after meeting with El-Baz.
The prospects for success of these peace efforts, however, remain largely in the dark. When Palestinian, Israeli and American officials met to discuss security matters on Sunday, a burning issue was Israel's seizure on Friday of a ship carrying arms allegedly destined for the PA. El-Baz rallied to the defence of the Palestinians, who vehemently denied the accusation. He said the PA has committed itself to peace through non-violent means and that they would not take such a risk. He added, however, that if "constructive" investigations point to the PA's involvement, it would be "the worst scenario" that could unfold.
When asked whether this could be an attempt by Israel to abort US envoy Anthony Zinni's peace mission, Maher told reporters that the entire ship capture scenario "raises suspicions" because it coincided with Zinni's visit to the region. Both Egyptian officials also denied the possibility that this ship would pass through the Suez Canal on its way to Gaza. Maher explained to reporters on Monday that "the Suez Canal security procedures would not allow for such things to take place."
But how much can Beilin and Sarid influence Israeli policy? "The differences of opinion between us and the government are too deep to be breached... We don't know the real intentions of Mr Sharon and we don't know the real intentions of Mr Arafat," Sarid told reporters after meeting with Maher. "To be in the middle [between Arafat and Sharon] with a reasonable peace voice is very difficult," he said.
Maher, however, refused to dismiss these efforts as fruitless. "The voices of peace are always important, since peace-loving people always listen to the voice of reason... These people represent the bigger fraction of the Israeli population, who long for peace and security," he said.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page