Too many factors beyond Egyptian control in regional clash
CAIRO: Egyptian efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict go beyond merely negotiating the release of a captured Israeli soldier, said Ambassador Soliman Awad, after President Mubarak met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.
But according to many experts and critics, the Egyptian government is finding itself increasingly unable to effectively maneuver a settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is now entering its 59th year.
“Egypt can only do certain things, said Joel Beinin, director of Middle East studies at the American University in Cairo.
The government has been under much criticism for its role in regional conflicts.
Political analysts and regional experts think that the government’s limited role in the conflict is the result of many external factors that Egypt cannot control.
Egypt can’t force Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians, explained Beinin, and they can’t stop the United States from supporting Israel the way they do.
Egypt doesn’t have the power to accomplish more, he added.
Political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah says Egypt’s role in the conflict is tied to external and internal elements – the government often uses its mediation in the conflict to divert international calls for democracy and reform inside Egypt.
Regional players like Syria and Iran and the foreign aid the Palestinian government receives also play a role in directing the conflict and any possible solutions.
“Egypt couldn’t impact the Palestinian factions, Abdel Fattah told The Daily Star Egypt.
“Before the ink dries on certain [Egypt-brokered] treaties, the agreements are breached, he said, explaining that the influences of countries like Syria and Iran on some Palestinian factions aren’t always in agreement with these treaties.
And neither are the Israelis. On Thursday, Hamas spokesman Ismail Rudwan said the Egyptian-brokered talks had broken down because Israel refused to meet conditions agreed upon by the Palestinian factions.
Abdel Fattah also noted that the haphazard and spontaneous operations carried out by some Palestinian youth, unaffiliated with any organization, lead to further complications in the conflict.
He added that Israel also stands as an obstacle toward peaceful solutions by its continuous violations of international law. This in turn leads to violent reactions by the Palestinians that often target civilians.
The inefficacy of the Arab League is also considered a factor in the continuingly worsening conflict.
Egypt’s attempts to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict might have been more effective if the Arab League was stronger, argued Beinin.
The latest decision by Arab leaders in the League to financially support the Hamas-led government has still not translated into practical terms.
Beinin explained that in order for such an endeavor to be effective, Arab aid has to be in “enormous amounts. The Palestinians have been “on the verge of starvation for almost a year now.
That is, if Arab governments fulfill their pledges of aid.
“The Arab League is an umbrella that everyone in the region goes to during political free time, said Abdel Fattah. He noted that the conflicts between the member states, their contradicting policies and their “competition for the US, impede the possibility of reaching a solution to any regional conflict, not just the Palestinian one.
