Waiting for the observers

As everyone waits anxiously for the US to fine-tune its proposal on the shape and form of observers to be sent to Palestine, Egypt steps in to try and avert an escalation of the crisis. Tarek Atia reports
It was a week of waiting, topped by a tension-filled Sunday, as it became clear that a strong international coalition had reached agreement on the issue of sending international observers to Palestine to monitor exactly who was breaking the cease-fire.
The cease-fire has in fact been broken on a regular basis. According to Miguel Moratinos, the special EU envoy who was in Cairo on Sunday for discussions with Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, the violations of the cease-fire represent "a deep crisis; the most serious crisis ever confronted by the peace process."
Moratinos was in Cairo on the day that a right-wing Zionist group, the Temple Mount Faithful, acting with court permission, placed a temporary foundation-stone for the Third Temple a few hundred metres from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.
The matter caused consternation in Cairo. On Saturday, Maher summoned the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the US, China, France, Russia and the UK -- to the Foreign Ministry to warn them of possible serious ramifications of the Israeli move. "This is yet another Israeli provocation in a string of Israeli provocations," Maher said. "This one," the minister continued, "touches on the most sensitive of Arab nerves, and represents the climax of Israeli provocations of Arab sentiment and Arab people." Similar actions were taken by Morocco, Jordan and other Arab countries.
"We are asking them to intervene with the Israeli government to stop this provocation which could further explode an already explosive situation," Maher said. Asked why Egypt did not contact Israel directly, the minister explained, "We talk to people only if we feel there are good intentions." Elaborating further, Maher said that "Israel knows our stance and thus we do not need to summon the Israeli ambassador to tell him of it. We found that it is more practical and more fruitful to place the whole world in front of this responsibility."
It seems the direct channel with Israel that was opened a few weeks ago during the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres -- and which led to no tangible improvement in the situation on the ground -- had taught a lesson of sorts.
Instead, the idea of exerting international pressure on Israel for both the Temple Mount issue and that of observers was the focus of Egypt's efforts. Regarding monitors, Maher indicated that "Israel cannot remain alone for a long time in the face of global agreement on this issue."
Egypt continues to demand the speedy arrival of these observers, regardless of their nationality, a call echoed by the majority of the five countries whose ambassadors met with Maher on Saturday night. "It is more important to get these observers in quickly than to be especially concerned about what their nationality is going to be," said outgoing British Ambassador Graham Boyce. The French and Russian diplomats expressed similar sentiments.
The only side that seemed less enthusiastic about sending the observers immediately was the US, the very country which is, ironically, developing the still-awaited formal plan for the observers.
Reno Harnish, the US chargé d'affaires in Cairo, told reporters after meeting Maher, that "people are talking about perhaps something like [the monitors between Israel and Lebanon] but that's a long way off. The most important point is to implement the Mitchell plan, get in the cooling off period and that's what we're trying to do." Regarding the Temple Mount issue, the Israeli and US response to Egypt's efforts to defuse the potential crisis was centred on making sure that the cornerstone would be placed in a parking lot outside the walls of Jerusalem's old city and away from the mosque compound.
In fact, the stone was removed after the group held their short ceremony in that same area. That decision, however, did not rest well with Egypt. "It does not matter [where the cornerstone was placed] because what is meant is a symbolic act which confirms the intentions that we have previously seen in attempts to burn and destroy Al-Aqsa mosque," explained a diplomatic source.
And although the incident itself passed without the expected explosion, there was still an upsurge of violence which made clear the need to move forward with negotiations. "What is important for now is that there is a strong momentum for observers to be placed in the area," a diplomatic source said, "and that the international community is on board."
The Temple Mount incident may have been meant to deflect attention from intense international pressure on Israel but rather than scotch the observer idea, it seemed to emphasise its necessity.
Additional reporting by
Soha Abdelaty
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