In These New Times

Turkish diplomacy could be an new element in the Middle East crisis.

Roads to Iraq

8th January, 2009

Another humiliation for the so called “moderate” Arabs in the Security Council, with Al-Arabiya reported in advance that the Security Council will never pass the Arab initiative.

Strange that news reports never mentioned the Turkey – Syria -Qatar peace initiative:

Assad said yesterday that if the situation in Gaza stays as it is, then an Arab Summit with those who attend [exclude Saudi Arabia and Egypt] a must be, which is similar to the position of Emir of Qatar.

Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported today about unmentioned Syria – Turkey peace initiative already accepted by Hamas delivered to Sarkozy contains the following points:

– Cease-fire from both sides, the Israeli army and Hamas.

– The withdrawal of Israeli army from the Gaza immediately.

– Return to the truce agreement signed back in June between Hamas and Israel.

– The formation of a special committee to open the crossings into the Gaza Strip.

– An international conference of donors to rebuild Gaza.

Today Syrian news agency SANA confirmed the above reporting about contacts made by the three countries [Qatar, Syria and Turkey] to discuss Gaza.

But Al-Quds Al-Arabi mentioned a very interesting line:

Turkey’s involvement in the negotiations of the cease-fire between Hamas and the Israeli army pushed Egypt away from the political scene, although Israel continues to rely on the Egyptian regime.

Al-Nashra gives us more details the dispute between the Syrian-camp and the Egyptian-camp, which divided equally according the news site:

Syrian-camp: Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, Yemen, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan, Algeria, Djibouti, Somalia and the Comoros Islands.

Egypt-camp: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates and, Palestine.

Sounds silly, but the dispute is on who should host the Arab-Summit, Damascus or Cairo, and the difference is:

If Cairo host the Arab-Summit then the statement will be few condemnations, asking both sides [Israel and Hamas] to Cease-fire, but it will surly not includes anything that will support and promote Hamas in the Arab streets.

This explains why Egypt came with its own initiative, to decrease the Syria role. Elaphreported that the Arab delegation to the Security Council surprised to hear about the Egyptian initiative, which pushed them to contact their capitols as soon as possible.