Issue No. 592
Editorial
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27 June - 3 July 2002 Issue No. 592 Editorial |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Different wavelengths
Those listening to US President George Bush's statement on Monday could have been forgiven for wondering if, perhaps, they had tuned in to the wrong station, and were somehow listening to Ariel Sharon. Indeed, one Arab commentator went as far as to suggest that Bush's speech might as well have been faxed to the White House from Sharon's office.
The Israeli press went further, reporting that Sharon had agreed not to openly express joy at the statement in order not to embarrass Bush in front of America's Arab allies.
Bush devoted the bulk of his speech to a list of prescriptions for Palestinians and Arabs. And even when he turned to what Israel should do, he introduced his remarks by emphasising Israel's "right to self-defence". Bush's statement, as no Palestinian will be unaware, will be translated in to yet more killing, destruction and systematic humiliation by the Israeli army. And while Bush insisted that Palestinian "reforms" must be carried out immediately, he did not include any timetable for Israel to meet its meagre obligations.
Neither are veiled threats to Arab countries on what they must do for the US to move towards reaching a settlement likely to promote the trust necessary if a comprehensive settlement is to be reached. Listening to such threats it was all to easy to wonder if, indeed, such a settlement is a primary US foreign policy objective.
Meanwhile, and whether Washington likes it or not, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will remain the leader of his people and the symbol of their struggle for liberation. Seeking to remove him will only increase his popularity while seeking to impose another leader on the Palestinian people is the shortest cut to chaos. The Palestinians are the only people competent to choose their leader.
It is a great disappointment that the US president chose to listen exclusively to Sharon and to ignore the sincere advice of the many Arab leaders who visited Washington recently. Israel's extremist prime minister, with a record of war crimes, once judged incompetent to hold office by an
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