Crescent leads ME peace plan
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
Posted on 9/19/2006


EGYPT, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan occupy the most important positions in Africa, western parts of the Arab world, Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf region. The crescent formed by these three countries will soon take the responsibility for initiating political dialogue with the Western countries to implement the Middle East peace plan according to the initiative taken by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

This crescent will be fully responsible for the present and future of the Arab world and we can confidently say that we have a competent group which is capable of projecting the true image of Arabs as peace loving people. Some people are still against the idea of allowing peace to return to the Arab world. These groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah which have strategic ties with Iran’s plans for expansion, are afraid their revenues from selling their national cause and the practice of trading their stand on important political issues will dry up.

People of Arab countries are no longer in the mood to allow anybody to trade on their suffering and political issues. This explains the dispute between the people of Palestine and the Hamas-led government. Less than seven months after Hamas came to power, the Palestinians have understood they have been deceived and are going to starve to death.

While urging its people not to kneel even if they starve, Hamas has seized the opportunity of being in the government to politically trade this position with Iran and Syria. According to a recent opinion poll conducted in Palestine the popularity of Hamas has gone down to 25 per cent while that of Fatah Movement has increased to 47 per cent. It is obvious the Palestinians are against selling their cause to serve foreign interests or providing Director of Political Office at the Hamas Movement Khalid Mishaal with a safe place in Damascus.

We are counting on Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to project the true image of Arabs to the world. We are confident they will succeed, especially as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is a political reference in the Gulf region, President Hosni Mubarak is popular and has a remarkable influence in Africa and western parts of the Arab world, and King Abdullah II of Jordan is an important political figure in the Mediterranean Arab region.

Unfortunately, Syria has become an international pariah after being linked to Iran. The Arab crescent formed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan will soon play a crucial and strategic political role by presenting Arab issue to the international community in a logical and acceptable manner. They will lead the Arab world in formalizing ties with the international system. Other countries, which are still refusing to respond and cooperate, will continue to live in the Cold War era and its ruins.

e-mail: ahmedjarallah@hotmail.com