The satellite war

Arab information ministers met in Cairo yesterday to forge a common strategy for a battle of the airwaves against Israel. Dina Ezzat reports
During two meetings held yesterday at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat briefed senior Arab officials on what the Palestinians expect from the Arab countries at this stage. These expectations, as outlined by a clearly disappointed leader, require political as well as media action on the international scene to counteract what he called the barbaric Israeli campaign against his people.
Yesterday morning Arafat, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, the League's Media Commissioner Hanan Ashrawi and Arab ministers of information met for over three hours to agree on a plan for a media campaign capable of revealing the Palestinians' struggle for their rights, and of countering their portrayal abroad as terrorists triggering Israeli acts of self-defence. Yesterday evening Arafat and Moussa met with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan to consider what should be done in light of the obvious attempts by Ariel Sharon's government to thwart any possibility of a resumption of peace talks.
Both meetings were held in the full realisation that the Israeli government is only going to get more aggressive.
"Even when they drop a word here or there that they eventually want to resume some form of peace negotiations, the Israelis are too obviously deceptive for anyone to believe them," commented an Arab diplomatic source. "Therefore, we have to act."
But what sort of action is necessary? The Arab countries do not always seem to agree.
With regard to the "media war," at least, Arab information ministers showed a clear consensus around the need to buy air time on key satellite channels to publicise the Palestinian side of the story. Still, agreement was lacking on the focus and time that should be given to the Intifada and its consequences on Arab national radio and TV stations. "Some Arab countries are concerned about the outraged reaction of the public, which feels that governments may not be doing enough to face Israel's intransigence," commented a Palestinian source who requested that his name be withheld. Instead of expanding the coverage of the Intifada on their national broadcasting services, Arab ministers of information were more comfortable with the idea of launching a new Arab satellite channel that would focus on addressing the international audience.
Agreement on the course of political action proved yet more elusive. Arafat's repeated requests for an Arab summit continue to be received with apprehension from Arab leaders, who do not want to antagonise their already frustrated peoples by organising a meeting that does not produce serious resolutions. "Nobody, literally nobody, can afford a summit that ends with nothing, with a mere communiqué," commented a senior Arab diplomatic source.
And in the words of another Arab diplomat: "Arafat wants a summit so he can tell his people he is not alone." The price of this show of political support, however, may be too high for most Arab capitals.
So far, it seems that the only likely meeting is one bringing together some or all the Arab foreign ministers. "The regular Arab foreign ministers' council is scheduled for 9 September. It may be brought forward -- but that is only a maybe," a source said.
In fact, some Arab capitals have been suggesting that no large-scale meetings should be held as yet. They argue that it is better to wait for the outcome of the consultations of an Egyptian diplomatic mission currently in Washington to encourage the American administration to put pressure on Israel to exercise self- restraint. Expectations are not very high.
Arab capitals are pursuing another diplomatic effort at the United Nations. In New York, Arab diplomats continue to seek an elusive meeting of the UN Security Council that could authorise the dispatch of international observers to monitor the collapsed cease-fire in Palestine.
All attempts by Israel to sell a proposition of a Madrid II peace conference, on the other hand, are being opposed. "What Madrid II? Such ideas, whether proposed in good or bad faith, are useless and unwanted," Moussa said. He added: "Such ideas only aim to backpedal on the terms of agreement accepted in Madrid I."
According to Moussa, those who want to convene Madrid II have to tell the world what they think they can do with the Israeli policies of aggression, political assassination and the Judaisation of Jerusalem.
In the absence of answers to these questions, Moussa suggested that "any attempt to hold a Madrid II would only serve to provide a forum for confrontation."
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