Al-Aqsa Summit, Snail-Paced Response [Archives:2000/42/Focus]

Mohammed Khidhr
Yemen Times
It is axiomatic that big crises and events of destiny dictate speedy response and action by all those concerned whether they are leaders or plebeians in a bid to tackle them as soon as possible in avoidance of complicated consequences and losses.
It seems that this rule does not apply to our nation and our leaders. When the bloody events in Al-Aqsa began more that two weeks ago and then spread to other Palestinian areas, accompanied with the most brutal crimes ever committed against defenceless people, the Arab leaders thought it appropriate to hold a summit on 21 of this month. Up to now, tens of Palestinian youths and men fell dead and thousands wounded at the hands of the Israeli army soldiers and army tanks and helicopter gunships shelled various vital Palestinian houses, official buildings and even headquarters of president Yasser Arafat. Nevertheless, the summit has more time to wait as if the situation has not become too serious to deserve a summit and more martyrs and wounded people are still needed and more houses and facilities need be demolished.
One may wonder that if an emergency Arab summit amidst speedily developing tragic events needs such a long time and procedures and preparations to convene, how much time would it be needed for an ordinary one?
What makes things worse and torpedoes even the idea of holding an Arab summit to discuss Al-Aqsa uprising and the massacres that entailed it at the hands of Zionists, is that the Palestinian leader has agreed to attend a regional summit blessed by the United States to be held ahead of the Arab summit. The said summit aims in the first place to reward Israel for its recent crimes and force the Palestinian leadership to submit to the U.S. and other parties will to sit to the negotiating table with the Israelis whose hands are still carrying blood of the innocent people of Palestine. The Palestinians have to accept what has happened as a punishment for their protest against the desecrating visit by the notorious terrorist Sharon to the Holy Aqsa mosque and to submit to the settlement conditions dictated by Israel and the U.S., the so-called sponsor of peace and defender of human rights in the world.

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