The Arab League is pursuing a double-pronged approach to the Palestinian issue, Dina Ezzat reports Imposing a no-fly zone over Gaza to prevent further Israeli aggression on the impoverished and besieged Strip and securing Palestinian reconciliation to end the de facto separation between Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-controlled West Bank are the two objectives that the Arab League is currently working on, in cooperation with regional and international partners. Neither is expected to be achieved easily, say Arab League officials. And the first objective, they add, is tougher than the second. On Sunday, an Arab League council that convened at the level of permanent representatives called on the UN Security Council to adopt a decision to impose a no-fly zone over the Gaza Strip to end the three-week long on-and-off Israeli aggression that has killed close to 20 Palestinians and left many more wounded. According to a statement adopted by the council, the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the continued siege imposed on the Strip prove that "Israel is acting as a state above the law." It added that Israel "is in breach of international law and international legitimacy and is violating the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during times of war." The council criticised the "suspicious silence of the international community" regarding "Israeli crimes" against the "civilian population in Gaza". It called on the International Quartet and the UN Security Council to take the necessary measures to protect civilians in Gaza, including the imposition of a no-fly zone over the Strip, to prevent Israeli military forces from launching further attacks on the Strip. On Monday, Arab diplomatic missions at the UN headquarters in New York started consultations with member states of the Security Council on the prospects of convening a special session to examine the situation in Gaza. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Arab diplomats acknowledged that their initial contacts are not proving positive, with several member states of the Security Council not very keen on having a special session on Gaza, and some suggesting that what Israel is doing in Gaza is in self-defence in the face of rocket attacks from the Strip. The offer made by the Arab side, to include in any prospective Security Council resolution direct and clear reference to the right for all civilians -- Palestinians and Israelis alike -- to be spared from attacks, is not changing the position of reluctant states. The Arab call for a no-fly zone for Gaza is inspired by Security Council Resolution 1973 that was adopted last month to impose a non-fly zone on Libya to prevent Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi from using military force to target protesters calling for an end to his four-decade regime. However, the Western position that has been explicitly expressed to Arab diplomatic missions is that the two contexts are not comparable and that the "atrocities" and "war crimes" that the "Gaddafi regime" is committing against the Libyan people are much harsher than the Israeli attacks on Gaza. According to one Arab diplomat who spoke to the Weekly, "This is a tough diplomatic challenge that will take time, and if we fail to get the UN Security Council to convene we will go to the UN General Assembly." He added that Israel and its allies might feel strengthened for now due to the reconsidered position adopted by judge Richard Goldstone regarding his report on its war on Gaza -- Operation Cast Lead. Goldstone recently suggested that his report incriminating Israel was overstated in view of what he qualified as Palestinian provocations. Meanwhile, the Arab League is trying to fast track the call for Palestinian reconciliation, believing this could help end the siege imposed on Gaza. The recent Arab League Council renewed its call for Hamas and Fatah, along with other Palestinian factions, to end divisions that deepened in July 2007 when Hamas took over power exclusively in Gaza. Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told reporters a few days ago following a meeting with the Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas that he is willing to join Abbas in a trip to Gaza in pursuit of a deal on reconciliation. Hamas sources say that reconciliation depends on credible power sharing and the end to PA intelligence cooperation with Israel. A proposed reconciliation agreement drafted by Egypt over two years ago is currently being revisited with the reservations of Hamas accommodated, said an Egyptian diplomat. He added that Hamas is showing flexibility on the new Egyptian attempt at reconciliation and that Cairo is working closely with Ankara and independent Palestinian figures to reach a formula acceptable by all Palestinian sides. In a meeting held earlier this week in Cairo, Foreign Minister Nabil El-Arabi and visiting counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu met with a group of Palestinian politicians to examine prospects for cooperation and means to support reconciliation. Secretary-General Moussa also met with Davutoglu and Palestinian groups this week to discuss Palestinian reconciliation. No clear dates are being offered on a possible meeting between Fatah and Hamas leaders, but a Turkish diplomat said a series of Palestinian faction meetings is being considered. He warned, however, that the meetings would not necessarily indicate imminent reconciliation.
