One way out

http://www.jordantimes.com/sun/opinion/opinion4.htm
Walid M. Sadi

Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa has cornered the Hamas-led government
when he called on it to honour Arab summits' platform on peace in the Middle
East in return for full political and economic support from the Arab world.

It is one thing for the Palestinian government to rebuff international calls
to recognise Israel and the internationally approved basis for the settlement
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and quite another to turn down Arab
demand that it push forward the stalled peace process on the basis of
international legitimacy.

Musa may have offered the new Palestinian leadership a face saving formula by
packaging the well-established international basis for solving the Palestinian
question in an Arab robe.

There are really no fundamental differences between the Arab initiative for
peace in the Middle East - that was unanimously endorsed by the Arab heads of
state at the 2002 Beirut Arab summit - and the demands of the international
community (except, perhaps, for the place where these initiatives originated).

By nodding approval to Musa's demand, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya
can avoid appearing to have succumbed to Israeli and Western demands that he
play ball with Israel on terms that have been in circulation for decades.

The secretary general of the Arab League has played a masterful game with the
Palestinians and he may win where all others have failed. Musa's credentials
as a hardliner when it comes to Arab causes, including the Palestinians',
gives him an added clout and credibility with the Palestinians.

No Palestinian can accuse Musa of selling out the Palestinian rights, and his
suggestions, in a quest to move forward the stalled peace process, stand to be
well received and appreciated.

Musa deserves credit for coming to the rescue of the Palestinians and the
peace process. It remains to be seen whether the Palestinian government will
act upon his proposal. If it does not, it will surely risk losing Arab
solidarity and support. There is every reason, therefore, to presume that the
new Palestinian government will follow reason and yield to Arab demands.

Sunday, April 23, 2006