Mubarak receives report from Arafat on Washington talks
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 1/6/2001

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat met in Cairo on Thursday to review the goings-on of peace process in the light of Washington talks.

Arafat briefed President Mubarak on the outcome of his talks with US President Bill Clinton in Washington. The session, held at Al-Salam Palace, was attended by Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and Presidential Political Advisor Osama Al-Baz. Taking part on the Palestinian side were Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath, Minister of Local Government and Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat and Arafat's Advisor Nabil Abu-Rdeina.

Arafat, before leaving Washington, voiced hope that the Palestinian-Israeli agreement would be signed before the end of President Clinton's tenure in office on January 20.

"President Clinton vowed to spare no efforts to achieve this aim before the end of his term of office," he added.

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa Thursday said the Arab Follow-Up Committee meeting, which pursues the implementation of the recent pan-Arab Summit collectively supported, without any suspicion, the Palestinian position on Jerusalem and the Palestinian sovereignty over Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

"There is a difference between sovereignty and any religious call because sovereignty is a principle that cannot be ceded," Moussa told a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary General Esmat Ahdul Meguid

Commenting on the refugees issue, Moussa said the Palestinian negotiator is the same and he will remain the first and last decision-maker.

"There is an Arab, Islamic and Christian interests and commitment to in the Jerusalem - and refugee - related rights," the top diplomat said.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hamoud, during the meeting, rejected the issue of settling the refugees in Lebanon.

Moussa said the committee members affirmed that all-out peace did not concern the Palestinian track alone but ending the state of Israeli occupation of Syrian and Lebanese lands, meaning that all tracks should be activated at the same time to end Arab-Israeli struggle and reach a fair settlement.

"It was decided that the coming follow-up committee meeting be held in Tunis as was agreed upon in a bid to realize more Arab coordination and maintain the existing Arab solidarity," he further said.

In reply to a query about the Syrian and Lebanese rejection to the US proposals, the top diplomat dismissed that Beirut and Damascus rejected them. "All such allegations were leaked by certain parties and they are baseless," Moussa stressed.

Thursday's emergency meeting was held upon the request of the Palestinian state to post the members on the current developments inside the occupied lands and as regards the recent statements of Israeli army Chief-of-Staff, Shaul Mofaz.

Mofaz claimed that the return of all occupied lands to the Palestinians would harm Israel's security and make most of the strategic targets, including airports and residential areas within the range of Palestinian light arms.

Moussa said that Mofaz's statements were anti-peace like.

The committee listened to a full report from Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat on the goings-on of the peace process .

Asked on the Egyptian-Saudi pressure on the Palestinian side, Moussa denied that such pressure existed.

"Neither Saudi Arabia nor any other state had exerted pressure on Arafat," he said, adding that this is a very sensitive stage, a stage of self-determination and nobody can press Arafat or the Palestinian leadership.

Asked about the current Israeli war rhetorics, Moussa said that was not a return to the language of war,but rather furnishes a threat to launch acts of terrorism. Moussa shunned Israeli statements away as rejected.

"Threatening to commit murder and assassination acts would only create a series of response and counter-response acts," he said.

"The statements used by Mofaz would undoubtedly lead to deteriorating the situation and put a number of question marks on the words chosen by the Israeli politicians, was it a language of peace or war? If it was a one of threat, they would not have but themselves to blame in case the Arabs would answer them back with the same language.," Moussa pointed out.

"The insperability of all tracks is very important until a final settlement is reached," Moussa emphasized.

Answering a question on whether the US proposals thwarted the Arab views, Moussa said that the American Administration was not imposing a certain framework or certain ideas. He noted that the venue to talks was still open, as was the case during Arafat Clinton meeting when the two leaders tackled what the Palestinians can and cannot reject.

"The issue was not about turning proposals down but rather about sustaining the channel of negotiations and stick to Arab firm principles as there was no way before reaching a one-sided peace in favour of the Israeli party," added Moussa.

Asked whether Arafat promised to stop the Palestinian Intifada, Moussa said that such issue was not brought to discussion during the committee meeting, adding that Arafat did not also mention it in his report, submitted to the meeting.

The Foreign Minister said that time would not be a sword on Arabs' necks, adding that the Arabs will see the right time to make a fair and balanced settlement, whether with the current American Administration or the coming one under President-elect George Bush.

Moussa said that the aspired-for Palestinian state, to deserve the title of a state, should be effective and genuine. This was the Palestinian position. But there were attempts to make such a state a mere title without content, Moussa added.

On his part, Arab League chief Esmat Abdul Maguid said that Barak wanted to quench the Intifada, but it was the Intifada that threw him out of power. "It was him, who put himself in such a situation and disappointed the Israelis everywhere," said Abdul Maguid.

Abdul Maguid stressed that Netanyahu and Barak were two faces to one coin.

On the coming committee meeting, slated for Tunisia on January 10, Abdul Maguid said that the league's secretariat presented to Thursday's committee meeting a detailed study on the various issues not discussed earlier in the day.

Asked about the slow pace of sending assistance to the Palestinians, Abdul Maguid said the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which runs the Intifada and Aqsa funds, will meet on January 20 to decide upon the issue.

The Secretary General said the sums, donated by several Arab businessmen, were remitted to the Arab Bank accounts. "Also the World Bank offered $12 million to the Palestinian Authority," Abdul Maguid said.

Arafat : Moussa's press statements reflect the Palestinian stance .On his part Palestinian President Arafat said that

Amr Moussa's statements to reporters on Thursday reflect the Palestinian stance as well as that of the Arab summit towards the peace process,.

In statements following his return home from Cairo, Arafat expressed hope for reaching peace before the end of US President Bill clinton's term of office. "Clinton pledged to exert strenuous efforts to attain a peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis," Arafat added.

Previous Stories:
  Moussa tackle US proposals, Arab follow-up committee   (1/3/2001)
  Mubarak stresses Egypt's commitment to restore back Arab rights   (12/21/2000)
  Mubarak and Arafat to discuss plan of action in Washington negotiations   (12/20/2000)

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