イスラエル／パレスチナ和平

Arafat Death Eliminates Mideast Excuses -Mubarak

Wed Nov 24,10:43 AM ET


MADRID (Reuters) - The death of Yasser Arafat means there are no more excuses for delaying the Middle East peace process, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Wednesday.


"Some parties used Arafat as an excuse for not advancing in the peace process. Now that he has passed away we must not look for more excuses not to move forward," Mubarak told a news conference in Madrid.


Mubarak, speaking after meeting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, called on the Palestinians to do their part, saying "there should be cooperation within the Palestinian leadership to advance toward a peace process."


It was Mubarak and Zapatero's first official meeting since Zapatero was elected in March and shifted Spanish foreign policy from one of steadfast support for the United States to a closer alliance with France and Germany.


Spain has launched a diplomatic drive to promote a more active role for Europe in Middle East peacemaking.


"There have been plenty of arguments and excuses (against peace talks). What we really need is political will ... God willing, 2005 will be the year that peace talks can culminate in the coexistence of two states (Israel and Palestine)," Zapatero said.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&u=/nm/20041124/wl_nm/mideast_mubarak_dc_1&printer=1


＠エジプトのムバラク大統領がパレスチナ人たちへ呼びかけ、もうアラファトは死んでいなくなったのだから、和平交渉を遅らせるような言い訳もありえない、といった趣旨の発言をした。

＠う〜ん。イスラム教徒のアラブ人がまともなことを言うと似つかわしくないような、ピンとこないような気が、しなくもない。とはいえ、ムバラクあたりは、年に一度ぐらいは、こうした正論も言ったりしてきてたようにも思う。

＠上の記事では、「我々は」という言い方をしている。より多くの「イスラムびと」や「アラブびと」らが、同様の「呼びかけ」をしてはどうか、と期待したい。〝過激派〟の言動に脅えがちな民衆たちの耳に、その呼びかけの言葉がきちんと届くように。何度も繰り返し、違う人物の違う声で、届くように。