Posted on 28-2-2002
Peace
Never Found In Barrel Of Oil
From oneworld.net Photo shows Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin
Abdul Aziz
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has cut short his Israeli
tour to fly
to Saudi Arabia and discuss a peace plan proposed earlier this
month by
Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. The simple plan
proposes a
normalisation of ties between Israel and the Arab world, in
exchange for
Israel's withdrawal from the Occupied Territories. The question
now is
whether the Israeli public can stomach such a trade.
Mr Solana travelled to the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Wednesday
to
discuss the proposal, which has brought new life to the peace
process. He
went armed with the knowledge that US President George Bush
had praised the
proposal, and even Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had expressed
interest. After meeting with Mr Sharon on Tuesday, Mr Solana
said the
Israeli PM "would be ready to meet anybody from Saudi Arabia,
formally,
informally, publicly, discreetly, whatever, to get better information
about
this initiative."
Radio Netherlands correspondent Joris Luyendijk 4´00" Radio
Netherlands
correspondent Joris Luyendijk says the plan, despite its apparent
straightforwardness, has some problems: "It's not as simple
as the Saudis
portray it to be. Specially after 16, 17 months of Intifada
the Israeli
electorate is in no mood to consider giving back lots of territories,
because they will see that as a reward to terror."
Other critical points yet to be hammered out include the fate
of
Palestinian refugees, and what will happen to the Israeli-occupied
parts of
East Jerusalem. Even the enthusiasm of Israeli Foreign Minister
Shimon
Peres is less encouraging than it might be, given that he is
losing sway
within the government. "Peres' position within his party is
getting weaker
by the day," Luyendijk says. From the Arab point of view, recognition
of
Israel would lead to open borders, embassies, air routes, and
ultimately
beneficial economic interaction. The Saudis have proposed the
plan for two
main reasons, according to Luyendijk. The first is that American
criticism
of Saudi Arabia following the September 11 terrorist attacks
– 15 of the 19
hijackers were Saudis - has threatened its special military
relationship
with the US. Secondly, the Palestinian uprising may spread:
"The Saudis are
seriously worried about what's going on in the [Occupied] Territories,
that
the conflict may spill over to Jordan and possible Lebanon,
Syria, and
would suck the whole region into, possibly, a war."
Mr Solana's visit is important in that the EU is regarded as
more impartial
than the US, hence better able to facilitate any possible deal.
"In the end
it has to be the Americans that deliver, but it seems the Europeans
can
push a little harder . . . because the Israeli lobby is not
as strong in
European capitals as it is in Washington. So the Europeans are
closer to
the Arabs."
Other impediments to the plan may come from within the Arab
world itself.
Syria and Egypt both regard themselves as leaders of the Arab
nations, and
will not want to lose this position because of a diplomatic
coup by Saudi
Arabia. In particular, a united Arab front will undermine Egypt's
influential status in the region.
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