Palestine and the Arab summit

People and officials alike are perhaps right in privately airing some skepticism on a real possibility that tangible results, affecting the situation on the ground, will come out of the proposed Arab summit.

To a great extent, we, too, are not overly optimistic about many concrete results. But we believe that the summit could be considered somewhat successful if it manages to achieve a unified Arab position, and if such position translates into firm and effective support for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

As for the contents of any possible final resolution, we wish that this will take into account firstly and for most the raison d'etre of the summit itself, and put the real interests of the Palestinians before empty slogans and dangerous rhetoric.

It is of the utmost importance that the summit strengthens -- and not weakens -- the Palestinian Authority's position vis-a-vis Israel, steering away from any counterproductive stand. Perhaps more than any other time before, the Palestinians need all the support they can get, and it would be sad indeed if the Arab summit failed to provide it.

-- The Jordan Times, Amman