11 - 17 July 2002 Issue No. 594 Editorial	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Views from the front

Despite the setback that was US President George Bush's speech outlining his vision for solving the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, there appear to be renewed efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli onslaught.

Certain that there is no option but the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, President Hosni Mubarak sent Egypt's intelligence chief to occupied Ramallah to meet Yasser Arafat, and to Israel to meet senior officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. A day after that visit, two Palestinian ministers were commissioned by Arafat to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, and more meetings are expected to be held in coming days.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal has also been touring Arab countries involved in the peace process, and Jordan's King Abdullah is expected to meet soon with US President George Bush. Representatives of the US, the EU, Russia and the UN are also due to meet in New York on 16 July and, for the first time, will hold a joint meeting with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Arab moves are clearly aimed at overcoming the stalemate created by Bush's designation of Yasser Arafat as the main obstacle in the way of resuming talks leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. In doing so, the US president confirmed his administration's happiness to remain in the pocket of the Israeli prime minister and to allow Sharon to up the already brutal levels. In his refusal to demand an immediate Israeli withdrawal the speech also underlined Washington's refusal to concede that the cornerstone of this conflict is Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands.

Despite the speech moderate Arab countries continue their attempts to encourage Washington to adopt a more balanced position. For in the end it is the leaders of the front-line states who are most aware of the devastating impact that the ongoing conflict in Palestine is having.

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