Egypt and Syria can lead Arabs to unity

Including Egypt in a Saudi-Syrian summit would be a significant political move that would boost the important geopolitical triangle of Riyadh, Cairo, and Damascus

Political observers praised the Saudi-Syrian summit held in Riyadh and thought it could expand to include a third party: Egypt. If that happens, it will be a significant political move that will boost the important geopolitical triangle of Riyadh, Cairo, and Damascus, said Tariq Alhomayed in an opinion article for the London-based newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat.

Some evaluate the level of the Saudi-Syrian relationship according to the political situation in Lebanon. Others link the improvement of Syrian-Egyptian relations with Palestinian reconciliation. "Yet, what is important here is the unspoken obstacles that challenge the three countries. In Lebanon, there is Hizbollah, which has an army that can outweigh Lebanon's own. For its part, Hamas tries to destabilise Egypt's security and blackmail it through the media. Saudi Arabia, while is intensifying its efforts to combat al Qa'eda, has to deal with challenges along its southern border."

Syria is not an exception. It has witnessed political hard times that force it to put national security as a top priority. In this context, the visit of the Syrian president to Riyadh is a very positive step, which, if crowned by a three-party summit - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria - will be very welcome news. It will also prove that Arab countries are aware of the pending dangers against them and the need to defend their interests

The Jordanian newspaper Al Dustoor wrote in its editorial that because of persistent Israeli intransigence, there was little hope to see a breakthrough in the Palestinian impasse in the near future. The situation was turning even worse in light of the US position, which ended up adopting that of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rejecting calls to freeze settlements as a condition to resume peace talks.

The general atmosphere in Israel is marked by an increasing mobilisation of its army and military attacks on the Gaza Strip, an indication that the Israelis are not interested in achieving peace now. "By continuously attacking the Gaza Strip, rejecting international community resolutions, and opposing any international or Arab peace initiatives, the right-wing Israeli government is pushing the entire nation to the brink of war. Israel behaves this way in order to go around international pressure to comply with UN resolutions to withdraw from the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967." Power alone is not a guarantee to ensure security and stability, Israel, therefore, cannot have both land and peace. "So if the Israelis would like a true peace, then they need to change their 'fortress' mentality. And this, combined with an obsession about war, has always led them to impede the peace process and reject coexistence."

It is likely that the events in Yemen could reoccur in other Arab countries, if no firm action is taken to counter terrorism before it flares up, wrote Salah al Qalab in an opinion piece for the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jareeda. In fact, what encourages the propagation of insurgent violence is the lax attitudes of governments to address the terrorist phenomenon. Yemen is an example.

No one had thought that al Qa'eda would deepen its roots in this country, nor had anyone expected that such groups as the Houthis and the secessionists in the South would emerge so boldly. Yemen is under a double threat, internal and external. It is facing security upheavals at home, and is targeted by powers from the region, which actually fuel the interior insurgencies. "For this reason, Yemen should not be left alone to face all these burdens. The same scenario can occur in other Arab countries if they do not anticipate the danger or fail to fight terrorism with an iron fist." It should be known that terrorists and the supporters behind them are relentlessly lying in wait to strike. It should also be noted that the imminent danger of rising terrorism can affect any Arab country, whether close to Yemen or far away.

"Combating corruption has grabbed the attention of many in the UAE these days after top security and government officials declared that many officials were found involved in public financial crimes," wrote Maysa Rashed Rhadeer in an opinion article for the UAE daily Al Bayan. "And as all countries are in the process of reviewing their policies on how to protect their national wealth, the UAE is not an exception in this pursuit."

All those involved are human and they do not differ from those elsewhere, but what is important is to continue granting the same press freedom as in developed countries, so that the media will continue to express the public's opinion about related issues. The government has always been tough on fighting corruption through laws and other procedures to deter the corrupt and protect the country and its institutions. By uprooting corruption, the government is also protecting the reputation of the UAE as it pledges to provide an optimal environment for investment and economic opportunities.

* Digest compiled by Mostapha Elmouloudi @Email:[e-mail]