Peace ball between Washington and Arabs
Regional, Politics, 1/20/1998

In just 12 words, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright summed up the Israeli-Palestinian impasse and America's own floundering diplomacy. "1997," she said, "has not been a very good year for the peace process."

Nor did the December talks in Paris with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu brighten this bleak landscape. Palestinian officials said they doubted any progress was made.

Previous rounds of talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders, organized by Albright, have also failed to resolve the dispute over Israeli settlements building that has stymied progress between the two sides since spring.

Summer's anti-Israeli suicide attacks added to a brew of mutual dislike and mistrust between Arafat and Netanyahu.

Analysts said that Albright's style contrasted with that of her predecessor Warren Christopher, who visited the Middle East 24 times in four years.

Instead, Albright waited until July to meet with the major peace players. Then, with little achieved, she announced, "I will not come back just to tread water," and invited the two camps to "take the tough decisions" Washington could not take for them.

In fact, this statement explains the new American strategy toward the Middle East. The American administration put the ball with the two main players hands in an attempt to protect its interests in the region.

But, by the beginning of 1998, the Arabs put back the ball solidly in Washington's court. "The US role, particularly in the coming weeks, will be instrumental, because there remains nothing to be done within the framework of the peace process but for the US to play its awaited role as an honest broker," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa.

Arabs are not waiting for anything from any Israeli governments, they know the Israeli people very well, and they have lost positive expectations from their government.

Previous Stories:
  Arab parliament to support Algeria against terrorism   (1/16/1998)
  Arab League expresses deep concern over maneuvers   (1/9/1998)
  US wants greater redeployment   (12/8/1997)

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