Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt | Open-ended dialogue

		18 - 24 July 2002 Issue No. 595 Home news	Current issue Previous issue Site map
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Open-ended dialogue
Cairo and Tel Aviv spoke extensively this week, but prospects for an impasse in the Arab-Israeli crisis still seem elusive. Nevine Khalil reports from Alexandria

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Mubarak and Ben-Eliezer compared perspectives on ending the current stalemate (top); while Baz and Burg sought a formula for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks
For the first time in nearly two years, Egyptian officials embarked on a flurry of diplomatic consultations with their Israeli counterparts. In the wake of Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman's visit to Israel last week, a number of Israeli officials -- all leading members of the Labour Party -- were invited to Egypt for talks. The most prominent of these was Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the defence minister and Labour Party head who held extensive discussions with President Hosni Mubarak on Monday.
The flurry of contacts reached their peak during a rare telephone conversation between Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday. During the conversation, the two leaders reviewed the current diplomatic efforts to end the stalemate in the peace process, and bring the parties back to the negotiating table. Mubarak and Sharon also discussed Ben-Eliezer's visit, and Suleiman's talks in Tel Aviv.
The surprise telephone call came soon after Mubarak told the Israeli press that he had spoken to Sharon only once since he came to power, and then only briefly. "Your leader called me once for a minute and a half and ended the call. How can I speak to him? I want someone to have a conversation with," said Mubarak on Monday.
On the phone with Sharon on Tuesday, Mubarak stressed the importance of Israel ending its blockade of West Bank cities and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's headquarters, so that the Palestinian Authority (PA) could carry out its responsibilities and reforms.
Earlier in the week, Mubarak said that Suleiman found Sharon to be intransigent. In an interview with Ibrahim Nafie, chief editor of Al-Ahram, published on Friday, Mubarak said that Suleiman found Sharon "very hard-line and uncompromising". The Israeli prime minister demanded an absolute end to all violence, while fully aware that the violence cannot stop as long as Israeli occupation continues, Mubarak said. "After long discussions with Sharon, Suleiman realised that the Israeli prime minister does not want to take any steps to [improve] the situation. [Sharon] wanted Palestinian reforms and a halt to violence, according to his own terms," Mubarak said.
In another interview, this time with the Kuwait-based Al-Siyassa newspaper, the Egyptian president indicated that he had turned down an offer to visit Israel, which a US congressman told him would surely guarantee Mubarak a Nobel peace prize. "I turned down a pointless trip, with no vision or a just final conclusion. A visit which would come in the middle of Palestinian territories being occupied, killings and bloodshed. What were they thinking?" asked Mubarak.
In Alexandria on Monday, after the Mubarak-Ben-Eliezer meeting, the two men confirmed that they had agreed on a few concepts. It became apparent, however, that when it came to more critical issues, their views diverged. Separate statements to the media by Mubarak and Ben-Eliezer gave the impression that while they were both sitting in the same room, having the same conversation, they had reached different conclusions regarding what had been said.
Mubarak said that Ben-Eliezer, as the head of the Labour Party, had brought with him a "constructive plan" for progress towards peacemaking. "These are suggestions which can be put on the negotiating table," Mubarak told the Israeli media soon after the talks. A few minutes later, in another room at the Ras Al-Teen Palace, Ben-Eliezer told a news conference that he is in Alexandria "not as the leader of the Labour Party, but as the minister of defence, representing the state and government of Israel." He said that he did not come to discuss Labour Party ideas on jump- starting the peace process, but rather to explain Israel's perspective regarding the situation on the ground. If anything, he said, his job was "to do everything possible to prevent [suicide attacks]".
Ben-Eliezer said he told Mubarak that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was "almost out of control", and this destabilises the region and its security. He raised the alarm about threats to the internal politics of Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria and "definitely" Saudi Arabia. "That's the message I came with," he said, and "Egypt has a great role [to play] in this situation. It can do a lot."
Ben-Eliezer claimed that despite "different views" on Arafat's role, "we agreed that it's better to just outflank this problem and to find someone [a Palestinian leader] who can be accepted by the Palestinians, us, [and] the Arab world to [achieve] a breakthrough."
Once this happens, the Israeli military chief said, "we will do everything to help. We are interested to find a way to co-exist and live together [with the Palestinians]."
Mubarak, meanwhile, thought he had made Egypt's long-standing position on Arafat's leadership very clear during the talks. He told the Israeli media after the meeting that, "we differed on the future of Arafat. Egypt does not change its positions or principles. Arafat is the father of the Palestinians, and we can reach a formula to help in negotiations without affecting [Arafat's status]."
Mubarak had explained to Al-Ahram that Arafat could voluntarily step down from power a year or so after a peace agreement is reached with the Israelis. "By then he will have fulfilled his role; but the Israelis are incapable of understanding that it is difficult for one or a group of Palestinians to replace Arafat in negotiations. It is very difficult to find a replacement for Arafat," Mubarak said, adding that Washington wants Arafat to appoint one or two aides to take charge of negotiations, so the Israelis won't have to deal with him. The Palestinian leader is willing to oblige, Mubarak said, but he doubted any of Arafat's aides would agree to the idea of sidelining Arafat from negotiations. "They will not reach a solution, and even if they did, it will be after consulting with Arafat," Mubarak predicted. His belief is that the current leadership should continue as is until reform takes place and Israeli troops withdraw from Palestinian territories. He also questioned the logic of Arafat being expected to carry out the required reforms while the PA is under siege.
Ben-Eliezer, meanwhile, said that Arafat's policies have "taken the Palestinian people to disaster". He told the Alexandria news conference that "unfortunately, we are facing a leader [Arafat] who is committed to the past. And there are a lot of [Palestinian] leaders who are very dignified, nationalistic and committed to the future."
Although Arafat remained a sticking point, Mubarak and Ben-Eliezer did agree that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will not be resolved through military means. "The people are fed up and want to live in peace," said Ben-Eliezer. "As a military man, I do not believe that there is a military solution to this problem -- there is only a political solution." According to Ben-Eliezer, the formula was to "sit and talk. Compromise as much as is required in order to live and guarantee the lives of our kids." Mubarak agreed: "This conflict cannot be resolved except through peace. The situation requires patience and determination."
It was also agreed that consultations and contacts between Egyptians and Israelis will continue, and that dialogue is always constructive. "I am trying to convince a great country like Egypt to [move] with us slowly to try and solve the problem," said Ben-Eliezer. "I'm sure we [will succeed] if we don't lose patience."
Cairo had repeatedly expressed its commitment to peace in the region, and, as Mubarak told Al-Ahram, Egypt is willing to assist the Palestinians in their institutional reform efforts. "We can offer the Palestinians our experience in creating constitutional institutions, and train their cadres."
In the same interview, Mubarak denied reports that the late President Anwar El-Sadat had agreed in writing -- within the framework of the Camp David protocol -- to send Egyptian security forces to the Palestinian territories. "There is no such [document]," Mubarak said. "I do not intend to send Egyptian forces to carry out operations there."
After meeting with Ben-Eliezer, Mubarak held talks with Palestinian Minister for Local Government Saeb Erekat. They reviewed Egypt's ongoing consultations with all the parties involved, and Erekat also went home with a briefing for Arafat about Cairo's talks with the Israelis.
Earlier in the week, Mubarak's chief political adviser Osama El-Baz had discussed the current stalemate with Israeli Parliament Speaker Avraham Burg. After the Sunday night meeting, El-Baz said that Burg believes in peace and is working to achieve it. He added that the Israeli official, who is a leading member of the Labour Party, can help create the appropriate atmosphere for peace. Burg said that Egypt is a partner in the peace process, and was encouraged that Cairo was once again playing an active role in peacemaking.
Baz's talks with Israeli Minster of Transport Ephraim Sneh last Thursday had focused on the Labour Party's plan to end the 22-month Intifada, and bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table. Sneh's visit, it was believed, had laid the groundwork for Ben-Eliezer's meeting with Mubarak.

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