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National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer (right) exchanged warm greetings with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at the World Economic Forum in Amman. (AP)
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05/23
Ynetnews |
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners May 23, 2005 |
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| Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan (left) stares over the shoulder of Israeli Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the World Economic Forum in Amman. (AP) |
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Under intense pressure from fellow delegates at the World Economic Forum -- a glitzy gathering of world leaders pushing for government reform in the Middle East, in Jordan -- Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan and Israeli Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert embraced and warmly shook hands, as the key Palestinian player agreed to prevent terror attacks on Israel after the pullout, while the top Israeli pledged to ease security restrictions, turn the crucial border post of Rafah over to Egyptian control, and offered "substantial, tangible changes" in Israel's economic blockade of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The pair drew murmured approval from the audience, which yesterday included top officials from the United Nations and World Bank. American actor Richard Gere was among the notables. Speakers included American first lady Laura Bush, the Jordanian king and queen, and the president of OPEC.
But the public displays of goodwill between the two changed to finger-pointing at a later session. Asked privately whether he thought Dahlan's pledge was genuine, Olmert shrugged and said the Palestinian official had made two similar promises that proved ineffective.
Olmert's pledge to allow Palestinians to revitalize their economy also appeared shallow when he was pressed for specifics during an interview with The Associated Press.
His chief concession was that Israel would cede control of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, handing it over to the Egyptians within a few months of Israel's evacuation of the volatile border area.
"We are negotiating with the Egyptians," Olmert said. "They will take it over."
While Dahlan welcomed Olmert's remarks as a "good step," Israeli officials in Jerusalem said no decision had been made on the border crossing.
Olmert denied the Palestinian's and of the World Bank's request to open a Palestinian-owned airport in Gaza. He said Israel wasn't prepared to allow Palestinians to oversee international flights into Gaza, saying they pose too big a risk for the import of missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv and other nearby Israeli cities.
Olmert said Israel was only ready to "develop some platform for trade".
In the meantime, National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer exchanged warm greetings with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a rare gesture by officials whose countries have no diplomatic ties.
Ben Eliezer, who is of Iraqi origin and was born in Basra, made his way towards the conference center with his Jordanian counterpart, when they unexpectedly bumped into Zebari.
The Jordanian Minister turned this awkward moment into a diplomatic and photographic opportunity and asked Ben Eliezer if he would agree to meet with Zebari over a cup of coffee.
Ben Eliezer turned to the Iraqi minister, shook his hand and said "How are you" in Arabic.
There are two versions of what followed next.
Zebari claims he answered, "I'm very good" in English and only shook Ben Eliezer's hand out of politeness. But, according to Ben Eliezer, the friendly conversation lasted a few minutes.
Following the "reunion," Ben Eliezer said he had met senior Iraqi officials in the past at various international conferences, but "nothing was like this warm meeting."
"My dream is to take my children and grandchildren to Iraq and show them where I was born and grew up," he said.
The unusual handshake received media courage throughout the Arab world, which may account for Zebari downplaying the encounter. "I was told the Israeli minister is of Iraqi origin," Zebari told al-Jazeera in an interview following the meeting, "but don't think this handshake means normal relations with Israel."
More than 1,300 participants attend the World Economic Forum in Jordan to discuss social and political reforms in the Middle East, Arab-Israeli peacemaking and Iraq reconstruction.
The AP contributed to this report.
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