18 - 24 April 2002
Issue No.582
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 18 - 24 April 2002 Issue No.582 |
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A pinch of salt
Arab diplomacy took a back seat as Washington helmed the peacemaking attempts for the second week. Soha Abdelaty and Nevine Khalil report
While suspending judgement on the success of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's Middle East mission, Cairo is digesting new ideas proposed during his talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders in the past 10 days. Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said on Monday that Cairo "welcomes all efforts." But he added that any diplomatic effort must "start from the point that previous efforts had left off." Maher said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's suggestion to hold another Madrid-like conference, but exclude Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, should be treated with a pinch of salt. "The idea does not sound serious because the real goal of the Israeli government is to avoid any serious negotiations," Maher said on Tuesday. "The make-up of the conference also excludes effective players whose participation is vital such as Europe, Russia and the United Nations," he added. Maher also confirmed that Egypt has not received any official communication about this conference.
Maher clenches Arafat's hand in solidarity
The proposal to deploy international observers to the Palestinian territories gained momentum this week and was strongly backed by Egypt. Israel, backed by the US and some European countries, considers that US monitors are preferable. "In order to have observers carry out a function on the ground you need the agreement of both sides, "John Sawers, the British ambassador to Cairo, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "If there is an agreement on both sides, you will find that the European Union, and also possibly the United States would be willing to send observers." UN Secretary General Kofi Annan suggested that a team of multi-national forces (MFOs) -- similar to the ones operating in the Sinai -- be sent to the Palestinian territories.
While Powell shuttled back and forth between leaders in the region, Egypt showed its support for the Palestinians by sending Maher to their territories. Maher talked with Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters and delivered a message of solidarity from President Hosni Mubarak and the people of Egypt.
The two sides agreed on how to end the crisis. Namely, immediate Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, the lifting of the siege on the Palestinian people and their leadership, the dispatch of international observers to the territories, the resumption of political as well as security talks and finally the rebuilding of the demolished infrastructure in Palestinian areas.
Maher denied that he went to Ramallah with specific ideas or to pressure Arafat into accepting the US terms for a cease-fire. "If there is a country that strongly supports the Palestinians, and calls for the respect of the will of the Palestinian people, it is Egypt. We did not pressure the Palestinian side in any way," Maher said upon his return.
This was confirmed by Palestinian Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Shaath, who told reporters after talks with Maher on Saturday, that the visit confirmed Egypt's support of the Palestinians. The Egyptians are telling the Palestinians "we are with you; we are breaching the siege to be with you," noted Shaath.
Maher described the Arafat-Powell meeting which took place on Sunday as "serious and positive," although they had not yet reached the "desired target." Altogether, Maher would not pass judgement on Powell's efforts until his mission of emergency diplomacy in the region was completed. Powell was in Cairo yesterday to brief officials on his efforts so far.
In press statements at the beginning of the week, Mubarak rejected any possibility that Egypt would go to war over the crisis in the Middle East. He said that despite a loud call from the Arab public and in demonstrations across Egypt, those who want war to break out between the Arabs and Israel "have no idea what it means to wage war." He continued that he does not take decisions "just to please the man on the Arab or Egyptian street," but rather to serve the interests of the Egyptian people and Arabs in general. At the same time, Mubarak pledged Egypt's support of the Palestinians and their cause. "I don't care about the media campaigns by those who want to undermine me or Egypt's policies," he retorted.
Mubarak continued that while war was "the only" option for the Arabs to confront Israel in the past, "today the means and ways are different." He noted that "the only way to end the violence is to sit at the negotiating table." Berating Sharon's policies, Mubarak said that Israel's hardline policies "will not achieve peace, but on the contrary, violence and counter-violence have multiplied the number of victims on both sides."
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