By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 17, 2004
“Palestinian” Foreign Minister Nabil Sha’ath and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert exchanged harsh words at Sunday’s World Economic Forum in a gathering that turned out to be less about economics than regional conflict.
"Stop blaming” the stalled peace process on the “Palestinians,” Sha’ath shouted at Olmert, as the charged round-table got underway in Jordan.
Sha’ath said if Israel ever wanted the Palestinian Arabs to “demonstrate their sanity” – something he apparently admits they are not doing – the Jews had to first vacate those lands that made up the heart of Israel’s God-given homeland.
Olmert countered that Sha’ath’s position that everyone but the “Palestinians” was responsible for the failed peace efforts summed up “the basic obstacle to any dramatic change.”
Evidently Sha’ath “hasn't heard that there is terror by Palestinians,” Olmert added sarcastically.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Colin Powell criticized PLO chief Yasser Arafat as an obstacle to peace between Israel and the “Palestinians.”
Charged gathering
Representatives from around the globe gathered on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea Sunday for the three-day World Economic Forum.
The gathering quickly turned from economics to a charged debate on the Arabs’ displeasure with the Israeli and American presences in the Middle East.
A session entitled “US voice in reform” provided the most heated diversion from the forum’s topic.
‘Palestinian’ insanity
At one point during the session, “Palestinian” Foreign Minister Nabil Sha’ath, referring to the stalled “peace” process, shouted at Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to “stop blaming it all on the Palestinians.”
Sha’ath claimed the “Palestinians” are an “occupied people,” and said Israel could expect them to “demonstrate their sanity” only after all Jews were uprooted from those areas the Bible defines as the heartland of the ancient Israeli homeland.
‘What about terror?’
Olmert countered that Sha’ath’s tirade summed up the “basic obstacle to any dramatic change” – the PA’s unwillingness to make curbing the terrorist murder of Israel’s Jews the first step towards peace.
He said that according to PA, “Everyone is guilty, everyone is responsible, everyone has contributed to the failure [of the peace process] except the Palestinians.”
Apparently Sha’ath “hasn't heard that there is terror by Palestinians,” Olmert added sarcastically.
Ha’aretz quoted Olmert as saying he wishes for the day the PA “will allow Palestinians ... to demonstrate against their own government in order to force their government to take action against terror, to be less intransigent and to take serious measures that will lead ... to a proper cease-fire.”
Road Map roadblock
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters that PLO chief Yasser Arafat is continuing to hinder peace efforts.
"Mr. Arafat continues to take actions and make statements that make it exceptionally difficult to move forward," Powell said.
On Saturday, Arafat marked the “catastrophe” of Israel’s rebirth by calling on the Palestinian Arabs to “terrorize your enemy.”
Peace on hold for US elections
Former State Department official Aaron Miller told the forum there obviously would be no serious movement on the Israeli-Arab peace process until after the November US presidential elections.
And whoever wins that election will have to become heavily involved if any kind of solution is to be found, Miller said.
But “whether the Arab-Israeli conflict moves forward or not,” Miller added, America’s “relationship with Israel that will remain close and very special.”