Arab rulers split over who is to blame for attacks

ON THE eve of today's emergency meeting in Jeddah of foreign ministers of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Arab rulers continued to bicker over who is to blame for Israel's onslaught on Gaza.

The aim of the gathering is to end Israel's offensive and "secure a complete and permanent lifting of the embargo imposed on Gaza".

Failure to reach a deal could precipitate street protests across the Muslim world. Yesterday, demonstrators battled police in Cairo, Amman and the West Bank and marched in Damascus, Tehran, Khartoum. Indian security forces fired tear gas at protesters in Srinagar, Kashmir.

The ministers are set to discuss a proposal put forward by Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is calling for a halt to Israel's assault, a return to the Hamas-Israel truce, and the creation of an international mechanism to guarantee the opening of Gaza's border crossings.

The proposal has the broad backing of the rival Arab camps.

The Arab nationalist camp, comprising Damascus, Qatar, Lebanon, Hamas, Hizbullah and a majority of Arabs, holds Israel responsible and says Hamas has the right to resist Israel's siege and blockade. This group has the support of Iran and Turkey.

The pro-US grouping of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and Jordan blames Hamas for the Israeli campaign. Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said that Egypt had seen "the signals that Israel was determined to strike Hamas in Gaza over the past three months. They practically wrote it in the sky. Unfortunately, [Hamas] provided Israel with the opportunity to hit Gaza . . ."

Egypt is particularly fearful of Hamas, a Palestinian off-shoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful Egyptian opposition movement.

Mr Abul Gheit argues that the mechanism proposed by Turkey could involve "international forces or Arab forces or just observers". But he has not made it clear whether monitors would ensure the truce or oversee border crossings. Israel favours monitors to secure compliance with a truce, but is unlikely to accept monitors to oversee the seven border crossings controlled by it. Israel has used the flow of goods and fuel as a means to exert pressure on Gazans to overthrow Hamas.

Moussa Abu Marouk, deputy head of Hamas's Damascus-based politburo said Hamas will not agree to a ceasefire that does not include an end to the siege and blockade.

Under popular pressure to open the sole Egyptian border crossing with Gaza, Mr Abul Gheit argued that Cairo cannot open Rafah to traffic until the Palestinian Authority is in charge of operations. Egypt's critics accuse Cairo of colluding with Israel, but he insists that opening Rafah under Hamas's auspices would imply recognition of its government and sanction the division between Gaza and the West Bank.

Analysts argue that popular pressure on Arab and Muslim governments to take action against Israel and its western allies would rise dramatically if Israel launches a ground offensive.

Commentators suggest that the oil-rich Arabs should embargo oil exports and withdraw funds from US banks, while Egypt and Jordan could suspend diplomatic relations with Israel. But few observers expect more than tough language. Following the failure of the Arab League to adopt a unified stand, secretary general Amr Moussa said Arab and Palestinian divisions have led to "disregard of the Arabs . . . We are all in one boat, riddled with holes, and only our cohesion can save us".