Issue No. 606
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3 - 9 October 2002 Issue No. 606 Home news |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Eyes on Palestine
AS THE confrontation between the US and Iraq nears a boiling point, Egypt is trying to keep the Palestinian crisis on the international agenda, report Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty.
President Hosni Mubarak focused on the two hottest issues in the region during his talks with his Arab counterparts this week. He called on the world to pay more attention to what he referred to as Israel's "expansionist" scheme in the region.
In a speech last night marking the 29th anniversary of the 6 October War, Mubarak said that in the absence of "effective international opposition to Israel's aggressions" Tel Aviv has a free hand to do as it pleases in the Palestinian territories. "Israel is abusing this [political climate] to carry out its expansionist plans in the Palestinian territories and impose reforms on the Palestinian leadership to bring about a new leadership that is agreeable to Israel's plans," Mubarak told a gathering of the Armed Forces' top brass in Ismailia. The president lamented that "some influential powers" embrace Israel's aspirations for ousting the current Palestinian Authority (PA) headed by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, because such a move "destroys all chances of reaching a comprehensive settlement [between Palestinians and Israel]".
During intense diplomatic consultations with Saudi Arabian, Syrian and Libyan leaders, Mubarak discussed Arab strategies in light of the further deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian territories and mounting expectations that there will be a war in Iraq. "We are now witnessing serious setbacks in the peace process as a result of the current Israeli government's policies," Mubarak said yesterday. He added that there has been "even more serious backtracking" on the commitment to the principles of peace, namely the land-for-peace formula. This, warned Mubarak, "threatens the future of the Middle East, ignites violence on both sides and increases hatred among the people in the region".
Addressing Israel's policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Mubarak said that they "solely depend on the use of force, but Israel is mistaken to think that this will guarantee its security or that the Palestinians will submit to [Israel's] demands." During his speech, Mubarak warned Sharon's government several times to abandon its hostile policies. "I caution Israel of the danger that its policies pose for the future of the region," he said, calling on all international powers, and the US in particular, "to firmly block this blatant aggression against the Palestinian people and its leadership." A day earlier, Mubarak had said, "Israel is trying to sabotage [Egypt's] relationship with the US in order to monopolise special relations with the US," and that Cairo will thwart these efforts.
Hours before Mubarak gave his anniversary speech yesterday, Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher expressed Egypt's "disappointment" with the recent US Congress bill which included provisions implying the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The part of the bill dealing with the $8.6 billion budget for State Department programmes around the world stated that Congress will not spend any money on the publication of official documents that list Israel without identifying Jerusalem as its capital. Although the bill is unlikely to be ratified by US President George W Bush, Maher said that Cairo had expected Washington to be more sensitive to the "difficult circumstances and highly charged atmosphere" in the Middle East. "We expected Congress and the US administration to pressure Israel into fulfilling its internationally recognised obligations, not grant it what can be considered a reward," he told reporters. Earlier in the week, Maher had spoken with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who asserted that Washington wants to see conditions improve on the ground in the Palestinian territories. Powell added that Egypt and other countries involved in the Palestinian reform process should resume their work as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the region awaits British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's tour next week which includes stops in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran.
After lengthy talks on Monday, Mubarak and Syria's Bashar Al-Assad urged the international community to "make Israel respect its commitments and implement Security Council resolutions". In a joint communiqué the two leaders said that the UN should carry out its work "without recourse to double standards in enforcing council resolutions, especially with respect to the latest resolution demanding that Israel withdraws its troops [from Ramallah]".
On 25 September, Mubarak discussed with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah ways to ease the siege on Arafat who was in his headquarters at the time. A few days later Cairo reservedly welcomed the Israeli government's decision to partially lift the siege on Arafat. "Israel should have complied a while back. I cannot say that I welcome its actions until they are clarified," said Maher on Sunday. "The siege on the Palestinian people has yet to be lifted and the aggression against the Palestinian people has yet to end," he added.
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