Levy puzzled by Qatari foreign minister remarks

Israeli Industry and Trade Minister Natan Sharansky has been chosen to be Israel's most senior representative at the Mena international economic conference, due to start Sunday in Doha, Qatar, while the foreign minister, David Levy, decided to stay away from the conference. Levy told Qatar’s foreign minister in his letter that, “In light of the conference’s clear economic character, it’s preferable that a senior economic minister head the Israeli delegation.”

Levy’s decision referred, in part, to an interview the Qatari foreign minister gave to Radio Monte Carlo in Paris on Thursday, in which he said that it would be easier to preserve the conference’s economic character if the Israeli foreign minister didn’t participate. Levy told his close associates: “I have no interest in undermining such an important conference, which is intended to aid regional development. If I were to go, everyone would be focused on the political process, instead of economic issues.”

Many Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, have already announced they aren’t going to the conference because of the political situation and are laying the blame on Israel. The tension in the Gulf is harming the chances for the conference’s success even more. Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan and MK Shimon Peres are expected to speak at the closing assembly of the conference. “The conference was a failure from the start,” said Egyptian President Mubarak two days ago.

US President Bill Clinton’s spokesman Michael McCurry said, “Those who choose not to attend the Doha conference are missing the opportunity to contribute to what will in the end be the history of this region.” Alluding to Egypt’s absence, McCurry said: “Certain leaders, who worked tirelessly and with great patience for the peace process, are sometimes disappointed by a lack of the progress they had expected. Yet patience is necessary. We should continue providing opportunities, like the Doha conference, that make it possible for regional ties to be normalized.”