Doaa El-Bey finds that Egypt's political and economic help for the Palestinians might have been tempered by political differences affecting the humanitarian dimension Political differences have certainly affected the humanitarian dimension in the Cairo donors conference on the reconstruction of Gaza. The Palestinian political daily Al-Quds regarded the conference as an important step that reflects Arab and international interest in supporting the Palestinian issue and rebuilding Gaza after the ruthless Israeli aggression against the Strip. Although the conference was held for humanitarian reasons, it has a clear political dimension which is shown in the international community and the Arab states' will to build a sound Palestinian infrastructure that would be the basis for an independent state. However, the newspaper's editorial questioned the stand of the international community concerning Israel. "Are there any guarantees that Israel would not demolish the infrastructure and building process that the conference is trying to initiate, or that it would not launch another brutal aggression against Gaza in the future? "Can the conference force Israel not to impede the rebuilding process and lift the blockade?" the edit asked. More important, Arab and international participants in the conference know that the Israeli occupation and the absence of peace are the main causes of conflict and the vicious circles of violence and tension in the region. Thus, that is the main problem that should be faced in order to make any effort to support the Palestinians succeed. The edit asked the conference to emphasise the importance of ending the Israeli occupation and the international community to help Palestinians establish their own independent state. Taher Al-Odwan, who briefly reviewed the history of the peace dilemma since the Madrid conference in 1991, agreed with the Palestinian Authority that regarded the conference as a mere political gathering. It is another chapter in the series of the peace process which the writer described as a labyrinth. The European and Americans did not come to Sharm El-Sheikh to support the political objectives of the Palestinian people, but to indulge more and more in dealing with marginal Palestinian issues at the expense of the more pressing issues like ending the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank. He agree with a number of Palestinians and Jordanians who visited Gaza after the Israeli aggression, and that the Euro-American interest to rebuild Gaza is a political continuation of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, and the sea blockade NATO imposed on Gaza, on the pretext of preventing weapons from reaching Hamas. Al-Odwan concluded in the Jordanian political daily Al-Arab Al-Yom that "Palestinians and other Arabs are in need of redefining the required peace in a manner that can clear away the labyrinth of initiatives, conferences and slogans." That is, for instance, they need to define it as the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, and underline the right of return of Palestinian refugees. The Saudi daily Al-Riyadh wrote that the conference is an international meet that gathered Arab, Islamic as well as foreign states. Although they all meet for one target, each state has its own vision and considerations. However, the edit warned that unless all states try to be objective, Gazans would be lost among their differences and the obstacles they face before the rebuilding process. All participating states need to prioritise the human element to political differences in order to achieve their goal. "Given that all states gather for one goal, there is no point in creating obstacles before that target," the editorial read. The Qatari daily Al-Watan agreed with Al-Riyadh that political differences preceded the human factor in the conference. The newspaper wrote that although the participating states pledged to pay over $4.5 billion, money is not enough. Two very important factors are likely to impede the rebuilding process: how the money will reach those who need it and the Gaza crossings which are still closed. Unless these two factors are resolved, the conference would be a mere rhetoric festival or a show for the policies and stands of states that ignored the main cause of the conflict: the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. In addition, the editorial pointed out, there is no guarantee that Israel will not repeat its aggression against Gaza in the future, or return to the Palestinians their rights. "Although many voices ask Hamas to recognise Israel, nobody asked Israel to recognise the rights of the Palestinians," the editorial read. The last obstacle before the rebuilding process is ignoring Hamas, the "legitimate authority" or "the de facto authority" in Gaza. That is the authority that is controlling Gaza and without consulting it, the process will not take place. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon believed that rebuilding Gaza should come hand in hand with reviving the political processes between the Palestinian parties, between the Palestinians and Israelis and between Israel and the Arab world. In an article written especially for the London-based political daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Ban drew an ambitious plan to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He pointed first to the importance of concluding a permanent ceasefire to end the volatile situation in Gaza. Opening border crossings is also important in order to guarantee a lasting ceasefire, access to much needed aid and the initiation of the rebuilding process. Meanwhile, as Ban added, Israel has various security concerns that need to be dealt with, requiring a united Palestinian authority. Thus the Palestinian parties are required to regain their unity under one government. "And just as there is a need for a united Palestinian government that is committed to peace, we are in need of an Israeli government that meets its obligations." He also underlined the importance of freezing all Israeli settlements, because building more settlements is not only unacceptable and illegal but hampers the peace process. He wrote that at a time when we are all working to deliver much needed aid to Gaza, we should work towards the target that we all wanted: ending the occupation that started in 1967, and establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital. "We should not aim to reach the pre-27 December state in Gaza or the peace process. But now we are in dire need, more than anytime in the past, to achieve comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
