Meeting for the World Economic Forum, Israeli and Palestinian leaders indicate that the resumption of negotiations may be forthcoming. The time is ripe, writes Ibrahim Nafie President Hosni Mubarak inaugurated the proceedings of the World Economic Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh with 1,500 leaders, businessmen and key figures from 46 countries in attendance. The choice of venue was a message to the world. It was a message that although Sharm El-Sheikh, along with other towns in southern Sinai, has been hit by terrorist operations, Egypt remains safe and stable. The forum was a chance to exchange views over various matters of interest to Egypt and the Third World, such as economic and political reform, education and armament. Egypt's economic reform is going well, and average citizens are already feeling it. The momentum of reform could, however, be boosted further through an infusion of Arab and foreign investment. This is why it is good for Egypt to listen to what investors have to say, and to learn from other countries that engaged in reform before us. It is also important to offer the world our view of political reform. Egypt is trying to balance political reform with the needs of stability and security. Reform is not a matter of debate, only its pace is. We need to present our views clearly and transparently, and we need to listen. Recently, Egypt has been under attack in the US and European press over the judges crisis and the Ayman Nour case. Apparently, our management of both issues left much to be desired. The massive security deployment in Cairo was uncalled for and has alienated outsiders, to say the least. We have to work on that. We cannot allow such minor matters to impact on the essence of the reform process or on Egypt's image abroad. The World Economic Forum featured high- level exchanges among politicians, businessmen and writers. One significant meeting was that of President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian aide, and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were present at the meeting. The Palestinians and Israelis discussed, among other things, the possibility of holding a three-way summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in the near future, a gathering that would bring together Mubarak, Abbas and Olmert. The Peres-Abbas meeting, and the remarks the Israeli foreign minister made afterwards, suggest that there is a chance for a negotiated settlement. Minister Livni said that Israel did not want to continue the policy of siege and boycott, nor was it interested in punishing the Palestinians for their democratic choice. Israel, she said, wanted to steer the Palestinian government down a road of negotiations and away from violence. For his part, President Abbas pointed to the perils of unilateral policies. Abbas called for negotiations, saying that Israel's convergence plan wouldn't bring about peace and stability. The time, I believe, is right for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks. President Abbas has already called for talks away from the limelight, saying that a political settlement can be reached within a year. As for Israel, the Olmert government has a stable majority in the Knesset. It enjoys the possible support of political forces not included in the government, such as Meretz. And if the Israeli government were to proceed with negotiations, it may have the votes of Arab Knesset members. Many things depend on President Bush's views on Olmert's convergence plan, Israel's final borders and its relations with President Abbas. What Bush says will nurture or nix the three-way summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. Olmert will wait to see what the Americans have to say, deciding whether to come to Sharm as a formality, or to seek a negotiated settlement.
