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Arab Ministers Discuss Conditions for Accepting Mitchell's Bid for Ties with Israel


[Asharq Al-Awsat-UK] Michel Abu Najm - George Mitchell, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, made a statement in Cairo calling on the Arab countries to take measures toward the partial normalization of ties with Israel in order to facilitate launching peace negotiations on all Arab-Israeli tracks. Meanwhile, knowledgeable diplomatic sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Gulf States and the Arab countries have reservations about responding [positively] to Mitchell's request and that they feel "annoyed" by the U.S. insistence that they take certain steps that these countries consider "premature" and that "there is no reason to take them at this point in time." Mitchell defended his request by stressing two key issues: First, he said that what he calls for "is intended to help the U.S. President" in his current confrontation with the right-wing Israeli government. So if the Arab countries want to benefit from the diplomatic momentum the U.S. administration is displaying, "they should not stand by with folded arms." They should "start moving" so that Washington will not look as though it "is pressuring Israel only." Second, he said that the Arab peace initiative, which Washington sees as one of the peace frameworks and points of reference, "has remained an empty overture, seven years after it was launched. So it is time for the Arabs to activate this initiative and give it a practical substance." What are the conditions that the Arabs want? The Arabs want to know what the U.S. plan is, the U.S. view of a final solution, the mechanism that governs it, and the time frame to which Washington will cling to achieve the goals of its plan.
2009-07-31 06:00:00
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