Palestinians will not be forced to accept what they do not want
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 11/18/2000

The Palestinian people will not be forced to accept what they do not want, Presidential Political Advisor Osama El-Baz told reporters following a meeting Wednesday at the National Documents and Book House.

Arabs would call on Israel to stop its incessant attacks against unarmed Palestinians, he said.

The Palestinian and Israeli sides should go to the negotiating table with good intentions to reach a settlement to pending questions which were left to the so-called final status.

This stage was supposed to cover issues of borders, settlements, Jerusalem, refugees, waters and security arrangement, Baz added.

The meeting, held under the title "The Future of Arab-Israeli peace" was attended by a large number of people interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Baz pointed out that the current givings do not bode well because Israel is ecstatic with power in the face of the unarmed Palestinian people.

We should, however, be optimistic because we know that a number of Israelis still see it is for the best to have control over the situation via serious negotiations to realize peace, Baz said.

Some Israelis discovered how fragile the status quo is, and that they can not go on coercing the Palestinian people to succumb to such atrocious power like that, he added.

As for the resolutions of the Arab summit in Cairo and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in Doha and whether they can bring Israel back to the negotiating table, Baz voiced a belief that even if Israel tried to play down interest in these resolutions, it will be interested deep inside.

As soon as the Arab summit was held and the final communique issued, confidence of a number of Israelis in their ability to continue defying Arabs became shaky, said Baz.

The Egyptian political advisor said it can be heard so soon that many voices there (in Israel) are calling for the necessity not to waste the peace chance and burn the olive branch in the hands of the Arabs.

On the date to declare a Palestinian state, Baz said that the Palestinians have the right to declare their state in the time they deem convenient, adding the declaration is not important, but what really matters is the world reaction for this declaration.

If the Palestinian state is declared and many countries declined to recognize it, this would not be for the good of the Palestinians and, moreover, Israel can take some decisions that would trim the Palestinians' ability to practice their sovereignty over a certain province, said Baz.

Baz underscored that Arabs should bridge the military and technological gap between them and the Israelis, noting that the Arabs are in a position allowing them to outdo Israel technologically in terms of quantity and quality.

Israel can never continue its regional expansion under religious or historic pretexts as this would contradict the concept of peace, he said.

Baz further stressed that Israel should completely abandon its idea of achieving military and technological supremacy over the Arabs, adding Israel has to coexist on equal footing with the Palestinians.

We have to give Israel, especially for the new generations, a chance to navigate the Israeli policies in a way that would make Israel a state acceptable by the Arabs, said Baz, noting that Israel can not live in this region against the Arabs' will, or it would doom itself to extermination in the future.

On the US policies in the region, Baz said that President Bill Clinton promised he will be interested in this issue until the last day of his tenure.

Baz affirmed the Palestinian leadership and people's keenness on maintaining this hope, that is the US Administration remains interested in this issue until its last day in office.

He referred to the weak Russian role in this current period, blaming it on the demise of the Soviet Union that was dissected into independent republics and on the deterioration of Russia's internal affairs.

Baz underlined the necessity to have the Israeli military nuclear program liquidated via an agreement to be signed with all Arab parties.

Paying tribute to the late Hafez Al-Assad, Al-Baz said Assad's biggest accomplishment was his obstruction of the Zionist scheme and refusal to make any concession on Arab rights, whatever sacrifices," said Osama El-Baz, President Hosni Mubarak's political advisor.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak, Arafat probe situation in Palestinian territories   (11/15/2000)
  Egypt denounces Israeli aggression on Palestinians   (11/9/2000)
  Mubarak - Arafat talks   (11/9/2000)

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