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Arab League meet sees rift

— Photo: AP

Movers and shakers: Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir (right) talks to his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad during the Arab League summit in Doha on Monday.

DUBAI: The Arab League summit has opened in Doha, capital of Qatar, amid rifts within the Arab ranks which were widened during the 22-day Gaza war.

Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak is not attending the summit, signalling souring of relations between Cairo and Doha. Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani said: “I cannot say that we have excellent relations, but the roots of our relations are very strong, and Egypt is a great State that we respect.”

The split between the moderate Arab countries led by traditional players Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the rejectionist camp led by Syria and gas-rich Qatar became visible during the Gaza war. Syria and Qatar have been accused of allying with Iran and the Palestinian group Hamas as well as the Lebanese Hizbollah. Turkey also supported the rejectionist camp during the Gaza conflict, leading to the emergence of Syria, Iran, and Qatar as a powerful counterweight to the status quo imposed in the region by the U.S.-Israeli alliance, with de facto support from the Arab moderate camp.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, during his address at the summit, downplayed the possibility of a dialogue with Israel citing the emergence of the hardline leadership of Binyamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.

“This [incoming Israeli] government represents the views of those who voted it in... It shows that this [Israeli] society is not ready for peace,” he said.

Despite the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the red carpet was rolled out in Doha for Omar-Al Bashir, the Sudanese President. The Arab summit is expected to formally reject the ICCs stance and call for the annulment of the case against Mr. Bashir.

Notwithstanding Mr. Bashirs presence, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is slated to address the conference.

During the summit, where 17 Heads of State are represented, delegates will discuss reconciliation efforts between Hamas and its Western-backed rival, Fatah. The change of guard in Israel and the evolution of an Arab position on Iran and Afghanistan are also likely to feature on the agenda.

Saudi Arabia is expected to make efforts to heal the rift in Arab ranks by formally advocating the principle of dialogue and consultation in solving Arab differences. The Saudi resolution is expected to urge members to adopt measures that would prevent ruptures from emerging in their relations, and stress the avoidance of fiery and escalatory language against each other.

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