Olmert, don't go
PM humiliated during previous Sharm summit, should reconsider this one
Mr Olmert, I am calling on you again to reconsider your participation in the Sharm summit in Egypt. I am doing this after your participation in the previous meeting at the same location not only did not lead to any achievements, but rather, only brought needless humiliation. I believe the facts below will cool your enthusiasm for the summit and require you to reexamine the issue.
1. The US Congress decided over the weekend to undertake an unprecedented cut of $200 million from the defense aid to Egypt in light of its failure to crack down on the smuggling of arms and funds to Hamas in Gaza. By so doing, the Americans are signaling that they are fed up with Egypt's double standards regarding Hamas' rise to power in Gaza.
2. In addition, dozens of American senators recently signed an open letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, calling on her to press the Egyptians to honor their obligation to engage in an all-out war on arms and funds smuggling into the Strip (including their obligations in the framework of the "Philadelphi Agreement.")
3. I remind you that your predecessor, Ariel Sharon, had the courage to cancel his participation at the Sharm summit, despite President's Bush presence, by claiming that the venomous incitement against him in the Egyptian media and the refusal to release Azzam Azzam made it difficult for him to visit Sharm. A year later, Sharon received a royal reception in Sharm, while securing Azzam Azzam's release from prison and seeing a considerable decrease in the level of media incitement.
4. I remind you that several months ago you were warned by the undersigned, and many others, not to go to the previous Sharm summit without proper preparation, without pre-conditions, and without a date for a reciprocal visit by Mubarak to Israel. All this was aimed at preventing you from being humiliated. As you remember, Mubarak used your visit to condemn, in your presence, IDF actions in the territories, announced he would allow the transfer of funds to Hamas, and even declared in your presence the initiation of a nuclear project in Egypt?
Mr Prime Minister, your visit to Egypt at this time may undermine the efforts of Israel's friends in Congress to press Egypt to fight the smuggling of arms and funds to the Strip, and even expose you to pressures and humiliation of the type you have already experienced.
Please, reconsider the matter.
Yuval Steinitz is a member of the Likud party
