Israel's assassination of Sheikh Yassin challenges the political will of Arab leaders, reports Dina Ezzat from Tunis Tunisian Foreign Minister Al-Habib Ben Yehiya will be spending this morning at Carthage airport awaiting the arrival of Arab foreign ministers. Together they will make the necessary preparations for the two-day Arab summit scheduled to convene on Monday in Tunis. "So far everything is going as scheduled. We are still working on the basis that the summit will take place on Monday and Tuesday [29-30 March]. We have not been notified of any change of plans," a Tunisian protocol official told Al-Ahram Weekly as speculations began to surface over a possible delay, or even cancellation, of the summit following the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas. Arab diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the assassination of Sheikh Yassin and the popular outrage it has stimulated across the Arab world had prompted some Arab capitals to consider delaying the Arab summit in order that Arab leaders might review the explosive situation and calibrate their reaction. "Arab leaders are in a fix right now. They are seeking a reaction that will satisfy Arab public opinion, prevent further escalation and inspire the sympathy and appreciation of Washington," said one Arab diplomat. But calls for delaying the summit have not, revealed another diplomat, met with much support. "Some Arab capitals feel that if they avoid a summit now they will be aggravating an already angry public. They say that even if the meeting produces nothing beyond condemnation it will be better than not meeting at all." The one thing Arab sources do agree on is that events in the next few days will determine the fate of the summit. If the situation worsens in Palestine and demonstrations intensify some Arab leaders may find it difficult to be abroad at such a crucial moment, attending a summit that is unlikely to produce the kind of response that will satisfy their publics. There is also concern that if the situation between Israel and Hamas escalates the regional situation will become far too explosive for Arab leaders to risk a meeting that will in the end produce a mild statement. "Arab leaders are working the phones and we will see what they decide," said one senior Arab diplomatic source on Tuesday evening. "So far," he added, "those in favour of keeping the summit on schedule outnumber those who are having second thoughts." Arab League sources suggest preparations are underway as scheduled. On Tuesday evening Tunisian President Zein Al-Abedine ben Ali received Arab League Secretary-General Amr to discuss preparations for the summit. "This is a crucial summit... contacts are under way to ensure it will produce the aspired results," told reporters following his meeting with Ben Ali. Preparations for the Arab summit started on Monday morning with a meeting of permanent representatives to the Arab League to review the summit agenda. Originally that was expected to focus on plans to reform the Arab League, Arab reactions to US and European proposals for reform in the Arab world, developments in Iraq, the peace process in Sudan and Arab economic cooperation, in addition to the situation in Palestine. News of the assassination of Sheikh Yassin, which broke hours before the opening of the meeting, forced a rethink. "Participants were woken by members of the Palestinian delegation and their media staff at 6am and told the news. The meeting was delayed for half an hour while everyone was busy watching satellite channels that were broadcasting news of the assassination and subsequent reactions," commented one Arab official. and the permanent representatives issued a statement condemning the assassination as "an atrocious act of state terrorism", a "violation of international law" and "a provocative move with ill intentions". They also sent condolences to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. On Tuesday members of the drafting committee were preparing a statement on the assassination and the future of the situation in the Middle East for the summit to consider. As they were working mobile phones were bleeping, many receiving an SMS that has been circulating widely: "Sheikh Yassin," it reads, "was a crippled man whose death brought life to the Arab street. When will the crippled political will of Arab governments rise from death."
