Serious doubts. Gillerman
Photo: Reuters
Gillerman skeptical Arab peace plan fair to Israel
Israel’s UN Ambassador says he doubts that a new Arab League initiative to end decades of Arab-Israeli conflict would fairly consider Israel’s security needs; ‘We do believe road map only viable option and only game in town,’ he says
Israel’s UN Ambassador says he doubts that a new Arab League initiative to end decades of Arab-Israeli conflict would fairly consider Israel’s security needs.
Arab League foreign ministers have asked to send a high-level delegation to a ministerial meeting of the Security Council in September to initiate a new effort to bring lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.
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Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman said Friday that the country’s top priority at the moment is “Solving the Lebanon problem” And making sure the UN Resolution ending Israel’s 34-day war with Hizbullah militants is implemented - not starting a new Mideast peace process.
Arab foreign ministers decided to take the issue to the Security Council at a meeting in Cairo on July 15, two days after Israel launched an offensive against Hizbullah militants following their capture of two Israeli soldiers. At that meeting, Arab ministers declared the Mideast peace process “Dead,” blaming Israel for its demise.
“The Middle East peace process has failed,” Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said after that meeting.
“The whole process should now be sent back to the Security Council for a complete overhaul. ... If the Security Council fails, nobody knows what might happen next.” Yahya Mahmassani, the Arab League’s envoy to the United Nations, said Thursday there is “Very strong support” From the 15 Security Council members for a council meeting at the ministerial level. It will likely take place between Sept. 20-24, during the annual ministerial meeting of the UN General Assembly, he said.
“Now, we are working ... On what outcome would be coming out of this meeting,” Mahmassani told The Associated Press.
'They will find in Israel a willing partner'
He said the initiative will be one of the main items on the agenda of an Arab ministerial meeting on Sunday at Arab League headquarters in Cairo.
Gillerman told the AP he has serious doubts about any Arab League initiative.
“I don’t feel that any initiative by the Arab League or Amr Moussa has a great chance of being a fair one that would take Israel’s security concerns into consideration,” he said.
A key element of the Mideast peace process has been the road map unveiled in 2003 by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia - known as the Quartet - which was aimed at establishing a Palestinian state by 2005.
But Israel and the Palestinians have failed to carry out the parallel steps in the peace plan and it has languished. Nonetheless, the Quartet and the Group of Eight - the seven major industrialized nations and Russia - still support the road map, and Gillerman said Israel also backs it.
“We do believe that the road map is the only viable option and the only game in town,” Gillerman said. He said the only reason it has stalled is the Hamas-led government’s refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence.
“Once the Palestinians have a leadership that is willing to negotiate in good faith, they will find in Israel a willing partner who will embark on the road map in good faith, and hopefully see it resolved in a good faith solution,” Gillerman said.
In the coming weeks, the issue of the best way to achieve Palestinian-Israeli peace is certain to be raised during visits by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and ministers from other council nations to the Middle East.
A US Official said “The primary US Concern is that any action in the Security Council should contribute to a solution to issues in the region and not degenerate into a debate that simply polarizes the different parties involved.”
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the council has not yet considered the matter. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown said Friday he thinks the secretary-general “Is certainly well disposed” to the Arab League initiative in the sense that he recognizes “More than ever the need to have a comprehensive peace for the Middle East.” But he stressed that it was too early to comment on specifics because the proposals are still being developed.
