According to the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper, the communiqu? published by the Arab Summit Follow-up Committee meeting in Cairo last week ?showed no hard-line or even firm language, either against Israel or the US.? Instead, the document called for international peacemaking efforts aimed at implementing the Mitchell report recommendations within a fixed period of time. Should the implementation not take place according to schedule, the Arab states are advised to suspend all political contacts with Israel.
On the one hand, Syria refused any reference to any agreement since the 1991 Madrid Conference (which the Syrians participated in). On the other, Egypt rejected the provision requiring suspension of political contacts with the Jewish State.
Al-Ahram reported, quoting an unidentified ?informed Arab diplomatic source,? that ??the Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians are of the opinion that there is still hope that the current Israeli government might succumb to US pressure and start working on resolidifying the cease-fire and even implementing the Michell report.?? In fact, the newspaper reports, a Syrian proposal of an Arab economic boycott of Israel and a Syrian-Lebanese initiative to suspend all high-level political contacts with Israel were both overruled by the Palestinians, in conjunction with the Egyptians and the Jordanians.
For their part, reports Al-Ahram, the Gulf states, having committed to increase financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, are going along with the Egyptian point of view. As expressed by ?one Egyptian diplomatic source? quoted by Al-Ahram, ??[i]f the Palestinians want to have contacts there is no point in arguing that these contacts should be stopped. We have heard from both the Americans and the Israelis that something positive could be happening.??
The Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, also present at the meeting, was concerned first and foremost about ?maintaining a minimum of Arab unity,? as peace with Israel is not in the offing. Yet this Committee meeting, suggests Al-Ahram, may have been the catalyst for new inter-Arab tension.
On the one hand, Syria refused any reference to any agreement since the 1991 Madrid Conference (which the Syrians participated in). On the other, Egypt rejected the provision requiring suspension of political contacts with the Jewish State.
Al-Ahram reported, quoting an unidentified ?informed Arab diplomatic source,? that ??the Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians are of the opinion that there is still hope that the current Israeli government might succumb to US pressure and start working on resolidifying the cease-fire and even implementing the Michell report.?? In fact, the newspaper reports, a Syrian proposal of an Arab economic boycott of Israel and a Syrian-Lebanese initiative to suspend all high-level political contacts with Israel were both overruled by the Palestinians, in conjunction with the Egyptians and the Jordanians.
For their part, reports Al-Ahram, the Gulf states, having committed to increase financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, are going along with the Egyptian point of view. As expressed by ?one Egyptian diplomatic source? quoted by Al-Ahram, ??[i]f the Palestinians want to have contacts there is no point in arguing that these contacts should be stopped. We have heard from both the Americans and the Israelis that something positive could be happening.??
The Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, also present at the meeting, was concerned first and foremost about ?maintaining a minimum of Arab unity,? as peace with Israel is not in the offing. Yet this Committee meeting, suggests Al-Ahram, may have been the catalyst for new inter-Arab tension.