The Egyptian government has welcomed US President George W. Bush's comments in support of Palestinian statehood, but local newspaper editors are warning that such promises might evaporate, just as similar ones did in the aftermath of the Gulf War.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was quoted by the local press as saying upon his arrival from Riyadh Tuesday that “this clear position on the part of the US is an indication of its continued efforts to implement the Mitchell report recommendations and is prone to pave the way for the final status peace negotiations to achieve the just peace sought by the Palestinian people.”
However, commentators quoted by AFP on Wednesday said they feared that Bush’s words might be too good to be true.
Recalling forgotten commitments for a just Arab-Israeli peace made during the 1991 Gulf War, they wondered if Washington could keep its promises.
They also expressed fears the professed support might be a ploy to recruit Arab backing in the campaign against terror.
"We really hope that Bush's courageous step is a correction of US policy aligned with Israel, and not a convenient move" to help Washington rally support for its battle with terror, said Galal Dweidar, editor in chief of the government daily Al Akhbar.
In the midst of trying to assemble an international coalition to fight those believed responsible for the September 11 terror attacks, Bush on Tuesday endorsed the right of Palestinians to a state within the context of a peace settlement.
"The idea of a Palestinian state has always been part of a vision, so long as the right of Israel to exist is respected," Bush said.
Bush's endorsement of a Palestinian state was hailed by the Arab League, as well as Egyptian and the Palestinian authorities, with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's top advisor, Nabil Abu Rudeina, saying it would "encourage" peace.
But Dweidar said he hoped "Mr. Bush is serious" in his remarks and that they would not amount to promises that would evaporate when calm returned.
He called on the US administration to "undertake the necessary steps for applying" the ideas expressed by Bush.
Makram Mohamed Ahmed, who is close to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and editor in chief of the government weekly Al Mussawar, was quoted as saying that "the Arabs received similar promises during the Gulf War, which went away with the wind.” – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
