The media in the Arab world is treating the upcoming Aqaba tripartite summit, and today's Arab leaders summit meeting with US President George Bush, skeptically. The Lebanese newspaper a-Safir, which frequently reflects positions of the Syrian government, sharply criticized the Tuesday and Wednesday summit meetings. The paper said Abu Mazen is the latest "pudding" on the table of "occupier" George Bush. The paper also attacked what it calls "cowardly Arab leaders whose greed leads them to cooperate with the United States."
Much of the Arabic press coverage of today's Sharm el-Sheikh summit focused on the issues of normalization and peace with, and recognition of, Israel by the Arab world. The media presents the issue of recognition as a major point of contention between the US and Arab leaders. Saudi Arabia, which in the past received much world acclaim for offering its own diplomatic proposal, including recognition of Israel, is said to be taking a particularly hard-line view on this issue.
Two days ago, the Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported the statements made by Ukrainian Ambassador to Damascus, Vladimir Koval, regarding Syria's position on Israel. According to SANA, Koval stressed his country's stand by Syria in her struggle to "liberate her occupied territories" and to "realize a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly 242 and 338, the Madrid terms of reference and the Arab peace initiative, approved at the Beirut Arab League Summit." In addition, Koval "highly lauded the modernization and development process which Syria is witnessing under the leadership of President, Bashar al-Assad."
In addition, the closing statement of the Teheran gathering of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic States Conference (OIC), published in the Arab press yesterday, focused heavily - almost exclusively - on Israel. The statement stressed the Islamic states' political, financial and moral "support for the Palestinian people", condemned the Israeli "expansionist policy.... praised Lebanese steadfastness and resistance" and condemned Israeli "occupation of the Golan...."
Much of the Arabic press coverage of today's Sharm el-Sheikh summit focused on the issues of normalization and peace with, and recognition of, Israel by the Arab world. The media presents the issue of recognition as a major point of contention between the US and Arab leaders. Saudi Arabia, which in the past received much world acclaim for offering its own diplomatic proposal, including recognition of Israel, is said to be taking a particularly hard-line view on this issue.
Two days ago, the Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported the statements made by Ukrainian Ambassador to Damascus, Vladimir Koval, regarding Syria's position on Israel. According to SANA, Koval stressed his country's stand by Syria in her struggle to "liberate her occupied territories" and to "realize a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly 242 and 338, the Madrid terms of reference and the Arab peace initiative, approved at the Beirut Arab League Summit." In addition, Koval "highly lauded the modernization and development process which Syria is witnessing under the leadership of President, Bashar al-Assad."
In addition, the closing statement of the Teheran gathering of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic States Conference (OIC), published in the Arab press yesterday, focused heavily - almost exclusively - on Israel. The statement stressed the Islamic states' political, financial and moral "support for the Palestinian people", condemned the Israeli "expansionist policy.... praised Lebanese steadfastness and resistance" and condemned Israeli "occupation of the Golan...."