Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Let Us Try | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The experience of the Mecca summit, which saw the formation of a Palestinian national unity government as well as the agreement to abide by international conventions and Arab initiatives, is a big forward step and a lesson for those who want to become skilled at the method of solving Arab issues without foreign interference!

The agreement in Mecca shows that there is a genuine capability of resolving Arab issues, provided that fair conditions are in place.

In the past, Arabs had paid a heavy price and had wasted numerous opportunities to solve complex problems through joint Arab action, which in turn led to the internationalization of Arab causes and the interjection of the United Nations, Europe and the United States in controversial Arab issues.

Imagine if the former Iraqi regime had seriously considered the initiative of late Sheikh Zayed, or if the Taif Accords which resulted in ending the Lebanese civil war had never taken place.

Our main problem is that our disputes are resolved outside of the Arab world; the Yemeni-Eritrean dispute was resolved in the International Court of Justice, likewise the dispute between Qatar and Bahrain.

The Western Sahara conflict is being addressed by an international committee headed by a former US Secretary of State; also the occupation of Kuwait was solved by a US-led international coalition!

We need other summits in Mecca in which we will try to resolve complicated lingering Arab problems. How about a Mecca summit to resolve the Western Sahara issue? Moreover, what about a Mecca summit to resolve the Sudanese problem and a summit to tackle the “silent issues” that exist between some Gulf States!

Are we dreaming when we request serious consideration upon solving inter-Arab problems through calm Arab dialogue, away from the media and the satellite wars?

Hasn’t history taught us that leaving problems to grow until foreign intervention takes place is an uncalculated venture for which we have paid a heavy price? Isn’t it clear that we have let problems intensify without taking action ourselves, yet when others intervene we launch our war of condemnation against the foreign occupier without bearing the moral responsibility of our silence?!

Why don’t we try? Let us start with an Iraqi dialogue in Mecca to which all the warring parties would be invited. If dialogue fails, it certainly would not be harmful and it might even succeed just like the Palestinian agreement did. Let us just try!