Agreement with Disney, but the Emirates is waiting
Regional, Politics, 9/15/1999

Indications are that the issue surrounding an Israeli exhibit showing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has been resolved with assurances from Disney officials and shareholders that the issue will be resolved satisfactorily.

Emirat's Minister of Information and Culture, Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayed, who led a campaign against the fair, welcomed cautiously the new news saying that Disney should fulfill its promise of allowing the Arab League's mission to examine the fair this week.

In addition, in press statement, he said "it is a positive step but the subject isn't finished yet, thus we should wait till the Arab League's mission examines the site and return with positive responses," adding that "when Disney lifts what refers to 'Jerusalem as a capital of Israel', this will be a victory for the Arab solidarity."

Also, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee expressed on Tuesday its satisfaction over the next meeting between the Arab League and the Disney Group, which will organize an exhibition including an Israeli exhibit which reportedly introduces Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The chairperson of the committee, Hala Maksoud, said this meeting will be held very shortly and that Disney is expressing its willingness not to instigate the feelings of Arabs and Muslims all over the world. The chairperson of the committee, which includes some 30,000 members in the US, added that if "there are signals indicating that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, we hope Disney will remove them."

A coalition including Arab states, the Arab League and Arab-American organizations succeeded in obtaining assertions from Disney company that the Israeli pavilion in the exhibition which marks the occasion of the Third Millennium, in Florida will not refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Indicatorions of the success of the Arab protest campaign came up when Disney approved a proposal to meet with a delegation including the ambassadors of the UAE and Morocco to the US, the representative of the AL in Washington and organizations for Americans of Arab descent.

Previous Stories:
  Ashrawi: Disney will not present Jerusalem as Israel's capital   (9/14/1999)
  The Arab foreign ministers meeting in the Arab League   (9/13/1999)
  Arab FMs meet in 112th Cairo session   (9/13/1999)

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