NEXT HUSSEIN
THE Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres's surprise summit meeting with King Hassan II of Morocco should not be compared too closely to Anwar Sadat's trip to Jerusalem in 1977. Morocco is not a real partner in the Arab conflict with Israel, and in terms of the two countries' rela- tionship, this meeting only makes public their discreet friendship. What matters is that King Hassan is the head of the Arab League and of the Conference of Islamic States. Even if he is a maverick in the Arab world, his willingness to meet Peres openly as opposed to his secret meetings with Israeli leaders in the past — will help legitimise for other Arabs the one step without which the Middle-Eastern 'peace Process' will remain stuck: face-to-face negotiations. Peres hopes to influence two other leaders. One is Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, who although at peace with Israel, needs to feel this peace has not isolated him. The other is King Hussein of Jordan, who has been unable to make real moves towards Israel since he broke off his partnership with the Palestine Liberation Organisation in February. The meeting with Hassan, Peres believes, will give Hussein the necessary courage to make the next move.
Previous page
