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Doubts over Sharon's peace offer

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA Nov. 25. The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon's statement that he is ready to take "unilateral steps" to revive the West Asia peace process and hints that some of the illegal Jewish settlements in occupied territory could be evacuated have been dismissed by a large section of the Israeli and Arab intelligentsia as a ploy to counter the growing negative international opinion about Israeli policies.

The Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, said on Monday that a date for his proposed first meeting with Mr. Sharon had not been fixed yet. He said he was "not interested in a tactical meeting and a photo opportunity, but in a meeting with content. A package of steps to improve the situation of the Palestinian population is needed. If Israel agrees to halt construction of the fence, to remove every millimetre of it that has been built on Palestinian territory, and if it also lifts the siege on Yasser Arafat and the closure and frees prisoners, we will enforce a comprehensive cease-fire". Israeli authorities have so far confined Mr. Arafat to his headquarters in Ramallah.

The Israeli daily Ma'ariv wrote that, "We need to draw some lessons from our not-so-short experience with Sharon as Prime Minister...Sharon hears Bush's speech, sees the outburst of terror and anti-Semitism in the world, reads polls pointing to national depression and declining popularity... Again he needs a new, surprising spin, as ever".

Many Palestinians go a step further and say that history has shown that a peace initiative from the Israeli Prime Minister cannot be expected. Diana Buttu, a legal adviser to the PLO told The Hindu that, "The Sharon Government has, time and again, demonstrated that that it is not interested in negotiating. Mr. Sharon himself opposed peace with Egypt, Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, the Oslo peace process and did not vote in favour of peace with Jordan." Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

Its forces withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, after an 18-year occupation. Ms. Buttu pointed out that only sustained international pressure would force Israel to undertake meaningful steps towards reconciliation with Palestinians.

Similar sentiments were also expressed by the Israeli daily, Yediot Aharonot. In a commentary, the daily stressed that, "As experience shows, dismantling settlements, or even a declaration about dismantling, involves a heavy political price. Sharon will go for this only if a knife is held to his neck. He will need many regional and international mitigating circumstances". The daily further brushed aside Mr. Sharon's political plan to end conflict with the Palestinians as a `bluff.' "The people listen and yawn... For three years the Israelis have been saying in public opinion polls they know there is another solution but they cannot find the strength in them to demand it".

A large section of the Arab press has also expressed deep mistrust about the Israeli Government's intentions. Al-Bayan, a daily from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) says, "Whatever comes from the tongues of the Israelis is flattery of the Zionist policies, and more precisely, a form of public relations campaign based on deception, lies and treachery".

Others in the Arab camp insist that instead of declarations, "practical steps" that are comprehensive in scope are needed for achieving progress in the Israel-Palestinian relations. "There should be no tricks involving talk about withdrawal from some useless fallow settlements. All the settlements are illegitimate," Qatar's Al-Rayah daily said.

Arab commentators have also strongly opposed the construction of security wall separating Israel from the occupied Palestinian lands as an illegal means to acquire more Palestinian territory.

Amid such mood, a thaw may not be expected soon.

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