CAIRO: Both Egypt and Israel have welcomed President Bush's calls for an international Middle East peace conference to be held later this year, describing it as a step in the right direction. "It is a positive idea for Israel and we think that a meeting can reflect the support of the Arab states in the international arena, Shani Cooper-Zubida, spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Cairo, told The Daily Star Egypt. "Israel is welcoming any attempt to do an international gathering to promote the peace process and of course we will participate, she added. Zubida-Cooper also said that it was clear from Bush's words that this was a conference for countries already geared towards that goal. She said "we understand between the lines of Bush's statement that the participating countries will be the moderate ones [who] supported the peace process and dialogue. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit also stated that the US proposal "includes positive elements that should be taken into consideration, built upon and developed, according to a statement by the Ministry. However, Aboul Gheit warned that a future Palestinian state will not only be achieved through ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, but also by dismantling existing settlements on the ground, "not just refraining from building more in the future. He did welcome intentions for further US economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority and to the people, as well as American awareness of the need to maintain the flow of assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. On Monday, President George W. Bush called for an international Middle East peace conference to be held later this year, which would include Israel, Palestine and some of their Arab neighbors. Bush said in a speech, which was intended to signal a change in his administration's attitude towards the peace process, that "this is a moment of clarity for all Palestinians. And now comes a moment of choice. Diaa Rashwan from Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies told The Daily Star Egypt that the conference appears to mainly be a show of support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas more than an attempt to solve the conflict. "It is to give him [Abbas] a form of legitimacy. The conference will not work because the balance is not right, Rashwan continued, "Israel faces no internal or external pressure to make any concessions; while the Palestinians are divided. He added that "Bush is still talking in one direction; the US still prefers parallel negotiations but have changed the form, he added, pointing out that the US does not believe that addressing the Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian issues together is the right approach. Rather, the US views them as separate issues which cannot be solved together. As a precursor to the conference, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with Arab counterparts in Sharm El-Sheikh at the end of July. The visit is to immediately follow a meeting of Arab ministers in Cairo on July 29. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Tuesday that Rice's visit might not be inclusive to Sharm El-Sheikh. She will be accompanied by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, he said, and Iraq is also part of her agenda. McCormack said that while the proposed peace conference alone will not resolve the conflict, it is a useful step.
