Arabs condemn closer ties with Israel

Arabs condemn closer ties with Israel

Associated Press, Beirut

While some Arab and Muslim governments may be ready to reward
Israel with improved ties for its withdrawal from Gaza, the idea
was met with scorn on Saturday by many in the Arab world.

Israel has been reaping diplomatic benefits since it began its
now-completed withdrawal weeks ago. Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia
have held high-level public meetings with Israeli officials. On
Friday, the king of Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel,
met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the sidelines of a UN
world summit.

Qatar's foreign minister made a call on Wednesday for Arab
nations to reciprocate Israel's Gaza withdrawal with greater
peace steps.

The call met strong opposition from many Arabs who rejected
any rapprochement with Israel as long as it is occupying
Palestinian and Syrian land.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss called for an Arab
League meeting to take measures to "check this sweeping, ominous
tide."

"I wonder how they can undertake such a step, forgetting a
cause they espoused for more than half a century ... under the
pretext of rewarding the Zionist enemy for withdrawing from
Gaza," Hoss said in a statement.

After "Israeli aggression, we do not see a real Arab
response," mourned Ahmed Haj Ali, a Syrian analyst. "Instead, we
are surprised to see acceptance and the promotion of Israeli
positions."

But Qatar's overt gestures may be part of a growing momentum
to improve ties with Israel.

Hazem Saghieh, a senior Lebanese columnist with the London-
based Al-Hayat newspaper, said "most Arab countries, if they can
be sure that public reaction can be controlled, would do what
Qatar is doing," he said, speaking from London.

"Some countries who are against this may take a different
stand when their turn comes - and have justifications ready for
their actions," he added.

At an Arab summit in March, Jordan proposed normalizing
relations with Israel before it makes any concessions on Arab
land - a major change to the current policy of promising
normalization only after a full peace.

Arab leaders quickly shot down the idea, but there were
reports that several countries - particularly Morocco, Qatar and
Oman - were considering moving ahead with ties anyway.

Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation of less than a million, has
taken the lead. In 1996, it established trade relations with
Israel, opening an Israeli trade office in Doha a year after Oman
opened a trade office in Tel Aviv. Oman closed the office in
1997.

After the Palestinian uprising began in 2000, Qatar said it
was shutting down the Israeli trade office. But the decision was
not implemented.