Arabs look for U.S.-E.U. convergence on W. Asia

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), JULY 19. The Arab world will keenly await the outcome of the G-8 summit that opens in Genoa tomorrow to see whether the U.S. and the European Union will arrive at a convergence in their approach to West Asia. And the decision of the G-8 Foreign Ministers today to approve the posting of international monitors to observe the Israel-Palestinian cease- fire has come as a positive sign to the Arab world.

While the E.U. has taken a balanced and proactive approach to the confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians, the U.S. administration's struggle to maintain what it considers a neutral and non-direct involvement has been seen by the Arab world as a pro-Israeli approach.

Both the U.S. and the E.U. agree that the plan, drawn up by the international committee headed by the former Senator, Mr. George Mitchell, to end months of violent confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians is the only game in town. This plan calls for a step-by-step approach to restore normalcy and has been supplemented by another plan drafted with the aid of the CIA chief, Mr. George Tenet, that deals with the arrangements for a cease-fire that must be put in place before the Mitchell plan becomes operable. The difference between the U.S. and E.U. approaches lies in their differing ideas about the kind of pressure they must apply on the Israelis and Palestinians and the matters in respect of which this pressure must be applied.

An essential component of the Mitchell-Tenet arrangements is that negotiations on substantive issues can only commence when there is a reduction in the levels of violence. Israel has interpreted this to mean that they need not begin negotiations till the violence has completely ceased. The Palestinians point out that it is impossible for any administration in any country to ensure zero violence and insist that negotiations must begin once they are shown to be making 100 per cent effort even if that does not produce 100 per cent result. Further, the Palestinians point out that their people can only be persuaded to give up their militancy if they can see that they are going to benefit from negotiations.

While the U.S. administration has tended to go along with the Palestinian argument that ``100 per cent effort'' should be the criterion for compliance with the Mitchell-Tenet arrangement, it has left it to Israel to determine the levels of Palestinian violence that it can tolerate. This amounts to an underground support for the Israeli position that it wants a ``100 per cent result''. It is in this context that the Palestinians are demanding that international observers be posted in the Israel- Palestinian territories to monitor the levels of violence and certify whether the Palestinians are doing their bit or not. U.S. intelligence and security officials are involved in the security talks that have been sporadically held between the two principals but they have no authority to certify the levels of Palestinian compliance with the Mitchell-Tenet arrangements.

So far, the U.S. has resisted the demand for the posting of international observers. But the E.U. has supported the proposal. The U.S. and E.U. are also not in agreement about the stage or conditions in which Israel and the Palestinian Authority must re- commence negotiations on substantive issues. The Arab world waits with interest to see whether a convergence will be arrived at during the G-8 summit.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Wahid renews emergency threat
Next     : Okinawa incident to figure in Bush-Koizumi talks