CAIRO: The Palestinian-Israeli peace process is at a crossroads due to changing dynamics in the region and abroad, Alvaro de Soto, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star Egypt.
“There seems to be a turning point here . a tipping point, he said, referring to many recent changes, whether in the European Union (EU) or the recent diplomatic efforts of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
De Soto, who is also the UN Secretary General’s Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestine Authority (PA), is in Egypt to meet senior officials.
He met with Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman to discuss the latest developments in the peace process.
“This is the first time I come to Egypt since the re-intensification of the Quartet (UN, EU, US and Russia), de Soto said, stating that his visit carried two objectives. “Firstly, since the Berlin meeting we want to deal with our Arab partners more closely. Secondly, this is an advance visit in preparation for the secretary general’s upcoming visit to Egypt.
In response to a recent joint Egyptian-Jordanian initiative to push for final talks on the main points of the negotiations, those of the Right of Return and the final status of Jerusalem, de Soto responded positively.
“It would be useful for the two sides to discuss the final outcome, and an understanding reached, so there is clarity, he said.
The original hope of the roadmap according to de Soto is that measures taken by the two sides are done in parallel, not one then the other. “In that sense I agree with the Egyptian Jordanian initiative.
Egypt’s efforts in the peace process were praised by de Soto. He said “Egypt in particular has been at the forefront and has been supportive of the efforts to form the unity government.
He added that the Palestinians want a two state solution and the agreement was met with joy. “The degree of support [in Palestine] was immense. People were celebrating in the streets. For the Palestinians, the priority was to avoid civil war.
The envoy indicated that a more comprehensive solution to the Middle East’s problems would go a long way in alleviating the constant turmoil in the region.
“This is precisely why the Security Council has advocated a comprehensive solution for the Middle East problem, de Soto said, “the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah showed that you cannot compartmentalize the problem . it’s all tightly knit.
For this reason, de Soto stressed that international bodies must work closely with Arab countries to achieve this aim and cooperate with Arab efforts to reach out.
Describing the Quartet as having undergone a “re-intensification, de Soto said: “The Quartet met in 2006 for the last time in September, before that in May. Now it has met twice in two weeks. The new Secretary General (Ban Ki-moon) has been talking about re-energizing, he is one element [in the change]; the German presidency of the EU is another, they are often described as a locomotive.
“Last but not least, the US Secretary of State’s initiative using her incomparable drawing power to bring the two leaders [of Palestine and Israel] together.
“What we saw in Rice’s initiative to start by trilateral meetings is the potential for the parties to look towards the political horizon. Thirteen, 14 years after Oslo there is very little to show in the peace process. Palestinians are forgiven for thinking that there is no state [for them], de Soto said.
The UN envoy added that there are also psychological elements that emerged from the recent Palestinian infighting between Fatah and Hamas – 137 people were killed in the clashes – which also affected change.
“The Palestinians looked into the abyss, leading their Arab brethren to act, de Soto said. “An unusual agreement, was reached, “in Mecca no less, he added.
The Special Coordinator said that the upcoming formation of a Palestinian National Unity government was a welcome step for the roadmap, the peace plan drawn up by the Quartet to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and that the Quartet would adopt a “wait and see policy for now.
“I was in Gaza with [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas and I was informed by him that there are no significant obstacles to the formation of the National Unity government. The Secretary General welcomed the Mecca agreement. The position of the Quartet is wait and see, to see the composition of the new government and its political program in order to make an assessment, de Soto said.
The envoy said, “the National Unity Government is a necessity to tackle violence. Palestinian infighting is a tragedy, it’s unacceptable.
When asked whether pre-existing peace accords and a Hamas recognition of Israel were prerequisites for talks to continue de Soto answered: “No, for the UN the principles are a desirable goal but they are not a condition. We obviously view positively that Hamas, which has used reprehensible methods in the past, has taken significant steps in the political process, which they had not done before. He added that the Palestinian people are prepared to go along with the recognition of Israel. “This is a process and we welcome moves in that direction.
He continued that Abbas has international authority to negotiate with Israel. “In Oslo, Israel recognized the PLO as the sole Palestinian representative, now one of the elements included in the conference is the power of President Abbas, as head of the PLO, to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians, he said.
According to de Soto, what would reassure Israel is a firm commitment by the National Unity government to consolidate the ceasefire and that all security forces work together cohesively to maintain it.
“Israel’s corresponding steps are in alleviating the plight of the Palestinians, he said, “we are asking the Palestinians certain things in . respecting previous agreements. The least we would expect of Israel is the same.
An example de Soto cited was the transfer to Palestinians of the Value Added Tax and custom duties that Israel collects from them on their behalf, withholding them for a very long time. This amount constitutes a third of the PA’s revenue.
“This is very crippling, he said.
Ambassador de Soto, from Peru, has throughout his service for the UN arbitrated as Personal Representative in the Central American peace process as well as Special Envoy for other hotspots such as Cyprus and the Western Sahara. He was also a Senior Political Advisor for former Egyptian UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
“There is hope and potential. Doing what is required will demand breaking of old mental reflexes and changing of mindsets in many places, de Soto said.
