Qatar may cancel MENA summit
Qatar, Economics, 7/14/1997

Qatar might cancel a regional economic summit unless Israel changes its policy, an Arab League Assistant secretary general was quoted on Sunday as saying.

Abdel Rahman al-Sihibani told the Al Raya daily that more Arab states were now opposed to holding the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economic summit in Doha in November due to what they see as Israel's blocking of peace talks with Arabs.

"If it convenes, it will be just a gathering with Israel's participation, a limited number of Arab states and some representatives of foreign firms and countries," said Sihibani who is in charge of economic affairs.

"Ambassador Sihibani sees that Qatar could have to cancel the MENA conference if there is no change in Israel's policy," the Kuwaiti daily said

But the tiny Gulf Arab state has said it plans to hold the annual summit, the first to convene in a Gulf state, on time despite calls by some of its allies to at least postpone the event. It was last held in Egypt.

Qatar's neighbor Saudi Arabia and regional ally the United Arab Emirates have already said they would boycott the event in view of the deadlock in Middle East peace talks.

The Kuwaiti Al Watan daily has denounced pressures exerted by the American administration to hold the economic conference in Doha.

In an article published on July 13, the daily said the conference will heighten Israel's intransigence and arrogance in the face of the Middle East peace process.

"While Israel is conspiring against Arab rights and setting up military alliances with Turkey against neighboring states, Washington persists in convening the Doha conference so as to give Israel legal acceptance in the Arab Family," the daily said.

It called on the US to play the role of an impartial broker that can bring the peace process back to its main track in Madrid and to honor its own peace initiative.

In Cairo, Secretary General the Arab Bar Association, Farouk Abu Issa, greeted all the Arab governments which rejected to attend the economic summit in Qatar and urged the others to boycott the summit which will contribute to further Israeli arrogance and aggression Abu Issa said it is abnormal to deal with Israel as a partner and member in the summit at a time when it is occupying Arab lands, building Jewish settlements on occupied Arab territories and defying international legitimacy resolutions.

He pointed out that it is normal to boycott Israel. He said that the Arab
participation in the summit together with Israel would mean Arab approval for the Israeli aggression.

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