Cairo's quiet caution towards proposed normalisation with Israel in return for a temporary freeze in Israeli settlement activities on occupied Palestinian territory should not be interpreted as a sign of approval. During his visit to Washington last month, President Hosni Mubarak objected to this formula and emphasised that a fair and just peace should be achieved prior to normalisation between Israel and Arab states. This position has not changed. Riyadh, like Cairo, disapproves of the normalisation for settlement freeze formula, which would give Israel access to Saudi Arabia's airspace. It is a matter of time before US President Barack Obama reveals his vision for the resumption of peace talks, which despite the optimism and promises he expressed during his June Cairo speech for a two-state solution is expected to put more pressure on the Arabs towards full normalisation with Israel. The Obama administration has already failed to stop Israel from pursuing its settlement construction activities, and by refraining from exercising any level of pressure on Tel Aviv to halt settlements, Washington has in effect approved this policy. But as Israel prepares to issue tenders for 500 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and refuses to halt construction of 5,970 settlements in the occupied West Bank, it leaves Palestinian negotiators with nothing to discuss in any future "peace talks". This is bound to create another wave of tension amongst Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. No one can predict the shape, nature or outcome of this tension, but it cannot be diluted with empty talk of a "de facto" Palestinian state with no borders, sovereignty and without liberation. On the other hand, while Egypt has sided with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement in the conflict with Hamas, it also cannot accept that the PA continues to stall Cairo's efforts to achieve Palestinian unity and reconciliation. Without national unity between forces in Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestinian question is in full jeopardy, as the Strip will be separated officially from the West Bank. This division would consequently mean that Gaza would become Egypt's responsibility, which is a red line for Cairo and a national security issue. Contrary to what was published in the Israeli press, the visit of Hamas's Khaled Mashaal to Cairo was not about captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. There was agreement in the meeting between Egyptian officials and Hamas's leadership that without national unity there cannot be Palestinian elections in January in the West Bank alone, as the PA seems inclined to suggest. Gaza cannot be removed from the Palestinian map and left for Egypt to handle.
