Mubarak's advice to Arafat to stay away from the Arab summit
The Egyptian State Information Service
March 27, 2002
Mubarak's advice to Arafat saves the Arab summit
President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday said that his advice to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat not to attend the Arab summit currently under session in Beirut has saved the Arab summit.
The Arab leaders would have been put in an intolerable fix had Arafat gone to Beirut and been denied access back to the Palestinian territories especially as the Arabs have no party to resort to in order to convince Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to allow Arafat back, the Egyptian leader said in statements following a meeting with his political working group.
I've always been keen on attending all the Arab summits, but this summit in particular has very special circumstances, the President said commenting on his decision not to participate in Beirut summit.
The President criticised Israel for complicating matters for Arafat and for his going to the summit. The conditions set by the Israelis have turned the whole matter into a means to blackmaile the Palestinian Authority and people, he said.
He said he was much dismayed to see an Arab leader treated in such a way, warning that it is such Israeli actions that fuel people's hatred against Israel.
The President said that he was acting on his own judgement of all given conditions when he advised Arafat not to go to the summit. The President was referring to the absence of any Israeli guarantees to Arafat's return back to the Palestinian territories and of the lack of confidence in the Israelis.
He said that he told Arafat that he would rather send a recorded speech to the summit than go there himself.
The President denied rumors that his absence from the summit has something to do with the peace initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abdel Aziz. I have been one of the strongest supporters of the initiative, he said, noting that he only wishes peace to prevail in the region.
Mubarak said that his relations with Lebanon are very good and that he clearly explained to the Lebanese leadership the reasons that prevented him from partaking in the summit.
Following are excerpts from the President's statements:
In his reply to a question on the reasons that led him decide not to attend the Arab summit, the President said that he has always been keen on attending all the Arab summits in general. But this particular summit in Beirut has very special circumstances that make it different from any other summit, he said.
He said that he was one of the first supporters of the peace initiative floated by Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah bin abdel Aziz. He said that his support to the initiative was very much evident during his visit to the United States and his talks with U.S. President George W. Bush. I'm a strong supporter of the initiative, he said describing as untrue the rumors saying that the reason for not going to the summit is that the initiative around which the summit is going to revolve is a Saudi one.
I support any initiative to bring peace back to the region, especially one that is forwarded by Saudi Arabia, he said. He added that the Saudi initiative is something to be considered, especially that the Saudi Crown Prince had said that he is prepared to ask the Arab world to start having normal relations with Israel if U.N. Resolution 194 and all related resolutions are implemented and if Israel withdraws from the lands.
The importance of the initiative lies in the fact that this is the first time for Saudi Arabia to make such a declaration, Mubarak said. He said that he supports the Saudis 100 percent... . I have a peace treaty with Israel and I wish to see peace prevail for the welfare and best interest of all the people of the region, he said.
The President said that the Israelis proved that they just want to complicate matters. They do not want to implement Tenet plans for they keep making remarks to change them and also to change Mitchell recommendations and then they come out with Zinni paper and later on they demand that Arafat inform them of the contents of the speech that he was supposed to give before the summit had he been allowed to go.
There is no humiliation more than that, I felt dismay and anger to see an Arab leader being treated in such a way, Mubarak said. If Sharon thinks that putting more pressures on Arafat would make him respond to the Israeli demands or lay off... that's impossible... he is just fueling the hatred in the people's hearts, he said.
I told Arafat that he should not go to the Arab summit if the price for his going is humiliation and if he lacks a hundred percent guarantee to return back to the Palestinian territories, he said.