Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak opened an emergency Arab summit Saturday aimed at supporting the Palestinians in their bloody clashes with Israel while still trying to save the peace process.
In a tense atmosphere caused by Israel’s decision to halt the peace process, Arab leaders met to tackle the tense situation in the Palestinian territories. Seven leaders of key Arab countries, Iraq, Libya, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Mauritania, however, did not attend in person.
Some delegations were in favor of giving Israel more time to prove its intention for peace. Others felt unable to take a solid stand against Israel, whilst the ‘hard line’ delegations were in favor of taking a solid stand since they felt that the Israeli decision necessitated a strong approach.
Albawaba sources confirmed that the Israeli decision caused contradictory stands regarding the three young Arab leaders; King Abdulla II, President Bashar Al Assad, and King Muhammad VI. The sources also said that the discussion between these three leaders was one of the most significant features of the Summit.
For his part Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, seemed tense regarding the Israeli decision, and told sources that he spends more and more time finding solutions to the problems created by Israel, but every time he proposes an idea, the Israelis claim that its another proof that he is uncommitted to peace -- Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
