As the Palestinians and Israelis grapple with their roadmap commitments, Egypt is trying to help keep the ball rolling. Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty report Cairo is working on a cease-fire between the Palestinian factions, while at the same time looking at other necessary steps in the implementation of the roadmap. Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman was dispatched on Wednesday to speak with armed Palestinian factions to broker a cease- fire agreement that would allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to honour its obligations under the roadmap initiative. His assignment was also to speak with the Israelis in order to stem the violence between the Palestinians and Israelis. "We sent the envoy [Suleiman] to speak to both the Palestinians and Israelis because if this cycle of violence and counter-violence continues, it will complicate matters and obliterate the roadmap," President Hosni Mubarak announced yesterday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Mubarak added that Egypt was trying to "salvage the situation, although progress will take time". The urgent need to dispatch Suleiman arose when Israel made an attempt on the life of Hamas leader Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantisi on Tuesday. Mubarak described the failed attempt as "shocking" and augurs ill for peace prospects. For his part, Berlusconi only remarked that the Al-Rantisi operation was "in response to the suicide attack which took place a few days ago", adding that "for the sake of peace the Israeli people and their government should be wise and patient". Cease-fire talks between the factions and the PA broke down last Friday after Hamas's decision to pull out from the talks, as three resistance groups participated in raiding an army post in Gaza on Sunday. Hamas said it was unhappy with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's (Abu Mazen) call for an end to armed resistance. Mubarak stressed that if Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon does not support Abbas's efforts to implement the roadmap, "the initiative will be doomed. Abu Mazen must be given the tools which would assist him in achieving stability and security." Egyptian officials expressed the view that both the Palestinian and Israeli sides must work on ending the violence and that they believed Abbas was committed to achieving that aim. "The armed Intifada, which Abu Mazen talked about, no longer achieves its goals," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said soon after Abbas made his statements on 4 June in Aqaba. "It is being used against the Palestinian people and their rights." Since last November, Cairo has been hosting a dialogue between the Palestinian factions to encourage them to close ranks and form a united front alongside and in support of the PA. The talks broke down in January when the 12 factions failed to reach agreement, but they were relaunched recently in the West Bank between the groups and Abu Mazen. Suleiman, who was designated the chief mediator on the issue of inter- Palestinian dialogue, was also instrumental in bridging differences between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Abu Mazen over the formation of the Palestinian cabinet in April. Minimising the significance of the breakdown in Palestinian talks, US Ambassador to Cairo David Welch said on Monday, "we shouldn't allow setbacks such as these to stop the momentum that we are now seeing." He was speaking to reporters after discussing with Maher future steps in implementing the roadmap. Cairo also consulted with the Europeans on how best to push ahead with the roadmap. Mubarak met with Berlusconi yesterday, upon his arrival in Cairo from Israel, to brief him on the developments in the region. Italy will assume the EU presidency on 1 July and will therefore become a major player within the diplomatic Quartet, which also includes the US, Russia and the UN. In addition, Rome also proposed holding peace talks in Sicily, as well as implementing a year-old comprehensive economic and reconstruction plan for the Palestinian territories. But despite these overtures, Berlusconi refused to meet with Arafat on this trip and, as a result, was boycotted by Abu Mazen. In defending his decision not to go to Al-Muqat'a, Berlusconi said, "the Israelis would not have met with me otherwise." Alternatively, he had a long telephone conversation with Abu Mazen to schedule a meeting with him later this month. Mubarak would only say that Berlusconi "has his own reasons. But, we in Egypt, understand the Palestinian psyche: Abu Ammar [Arafat] is the elected leader of the Palestinians and we are in contact with him, the same way that we are with Abu Mazen." Real progress on the ground remains conditional on Israeli cooperation and commitment to the roadmap, according to Egyptian officials. Sharon's decision on Monday to begin dismantling what his government deems "illegal outposts" is not enough. Cairo insists that all settlements are illegal. "Israel must commit to a clear position that supports peace efforts," said Maher before heading to Manama to attend a two-day Arab summit follow-up meeting. Meanwhile, with a US monitoring team scheduled to arrive in the region in the next few days, efforts will focus on practical steps to implement the roadmap. Despite earlier talk of a joint US- European monitoring team, the US is leading the mission for the time being with US Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf at the helm. Egyptian officials believe that the team's composition can be expanded in the future. While Wolf is not expected to visit Cairo on this trip, other members of his team may be arriving in Egypt to brief and update Egyptian officials on progress, or lack thereof, in implementing the roadmap. Cairo and Washington both believe that pledges made by Arab and US leaders at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit on 3 June are fuel for real progress that can herald a new phase in the Palestinian-Israeli track. Mubarak's general impression is that US President George W Bush is "serious in relaunching negotiations and reaching a peace agreement between the two sides". Mubarak suggested that the only way to deflect criticism undermining the results of the Sharm El-Sheikh and Aqaba summits, is "to push ahead with the peace process and this can only be achieved if the Europeans cooperate with the Americans". He also pledged Egypt's commitment to "doing our best" to this end, "but Sharon and Abu Mazen must also be helpful in ending the violence. If they do not cooperate, there is no hope in stemming the violence." According to Welch, "the leaders at Sharm El- Sheikh and Aqaba reaffirmed their support for moving forward. They determined that there should be an end to violence and terror as a first and necessary step to make progress. And this is what we're working on." Although Cairo is cautiously optimistic about Israel's pledges at the Aqaba summit -- which brought together Bush, Abbas and Sharon -- it was pleased to hear Bush's personal commitment to a "contingent" Palestinian state. Furthermore, Maher said that the meetings confirmed Israeli as well as Palestinian obligations in the roadmap. "This calls, not necessarily for optimism, but at least a conviction that there is a possibility to achieve real progress this time," he said. Cairo still believes that actions speak louder than words. Until Israel begins to honour its commitments, Egypt will not be posting an ambassador to Tel Aviv. Egypt's last ambassador to Israel was recalled in November 2000 in protest against Israel's brutality against the Palestinians. "Only when there are serious negotiations, progress and an Israeli position that encourages this progress will the matter be looked into," Maher said last week.
