There is a real opportunity in the US-sponsored peace conference, as long as it is preplanned properly, writes Doaa El-Bey Cairo has clearly stated that proper and adequate preparations are needed if the US-proposed peace conference is to succeed. The call was reiterated by President Hosni Mubarak and his top officials during meetings with the Envoy of the Middle East Peace Quartet Tony Blair, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema and King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday, at the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The main concern is that failure to reach a breakthrough on the Palestinian-Israeli track at the proposed summit, expected in Washington in November, would compound the sense of anger and frustration, leading to more terrorism in the region. This cautionary sentiment is believed to be also central to talks between Mubarak and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora today. "The president has said time and again that the road to Iraq, the road to win the battle against terrorism and fundamentalism, is through the peace process and Jerusalem," Presidential Spokesman Suleiman Awwad told reporters after the meetings on Tuesday. While all concerned parties want the conference to succeed and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected in the region later this month to prepare for the summit, several obstacles block a positive outcome. Primarily, the Palestinians and Israelis have different expectations of the conference. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants Israel to start serious political negotiations, according to an agreed timeframe, with the aim of creating an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians also expect the conference to address final status issues, such as the future of Jerusalem, borders and the fate of Palestinians refugees, in order to reach a clear agreement on these issues. On the other hand, the Israelis are only talking about a vague declaration of principles. Secondly, the conference's sponsor, US President George Bush, has not expressed any intention to pressure Israel or exert any effort to bridge the gap between the Israelis and Palestinians. Also, the fact that the US will not invite Syria to the conference could impede peace efforts, since a comprehensive peace in the region cannot be concluded without Damascus. Speaking to reporters after the meeting between Mubarak and Abdullah, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit stated that Syria too should be invited to the proposed conference. In talks, Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah agreed that the proposed peace conference was a positive step to jump-start peace talks, and that drafting a proper agenda is key to its success. At their fourth meeting this year, the two leaders hoped that efforts for peace in the region would lead to concrete results, especially the relaunch of Palestinian- Israeli negotiations. King Abdullah's visit was part of a tour which took him to France for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Saudi Arabia where he met King Abdullah. In Alexandria, Abul-Gheit warned of negative consequences if the peace conference does not launch negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. His Jordanian counterpart, Abdul-Illah Al-Khatib, agreed that the high-profile peace meeting should lead to tangible results on the ground. With Blair, Mubarak discussed ways to boost efforts to relaunch the peace process and prepare for a Quartet meeting with key Arab countries in late September. Blair's visit came as part of a regional tour which also took him to Saudi Arabia and Israel, and aims to lay the groundwork for the September and November peace conferences. During his first visit to the region in July as the representative of the Quartet, membered by the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States, Blair said he saw a good opportunity for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Meanwhile, Mubarak's talks with D'Alema focussed on EU support for the peace conference, which the Italian official pledged. D'Alema told reporters after the meeting that Italy and the EU would push to ensure the conference's success. He also said he would encourage Abbas to talk with the rival Hamas group, which seized control of the Gaza Strip and split Palestinian territories in two. "No one wants two Palestinian states, but one Palestinian state and an Israeli state," noted D'Alema.
