Arab Countries

Re "Palestinian Refugees Must Be Allowed to Choose," Commentary, Aug. 10: Elia Zureik failed to mention that the 800,000 Palestinians who fled their homes in 1948 could have easily been absorbed and started a new life in surrounding Arab countries. Instead, they were purposely kept in refugee camps as a political trump card. There were more than a million Jews who were expelled or constrained to leave their homes from Arab countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Syria, et al. They too had to relinquish their homes, properties, businesses, assets, etc. The difference, however, is that they did not go to refugee camps and hibernate.

The 22 members of the Arab League committed themselves Wednesday to fighting terrorism, by signing an accord designed to ensure that their governments will not tolerate or give support to groups or individuals mounting terrorist attacks in other Arab countries. "This treaty will allow Arab countries to shatter the networks of terrorism . . .

Other American officials had said as much before, but the reaction to a comment by new U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer was swift and vehement: How dare he say that? At Kurtzer's debut news conference here, the career diplomat was asked about Egypt's decision to boycott a U.S.-sponsored regional economic summit to protest Israel's alleged foot-dragging in peace talks. He answered that the decision was, in his opinion, a "serious mistake."

In a sharp rebuff to months of intensive U.S. lobbying, Egypt on Tuesday joined the list of Arab nations that will boycott the annual Middle East economic conference scheduled to begin this weekend in the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar.

After being ruled over for centuries by the Ottoman Empire, the Arab countries of the Middle East have long been leery of Turkey. Lately, they are perceiving a new Turkish threat--and their fears are leading to shifts in regional alliances and a closing of Arab ranks. Arabs have been alarmed by a series of Turkish-Israeli military cooperation agreements over the past year, culminating in Israeli use of Turkish airspace and joint naval maneuvers this week off the Syrian coast.

Barely a month has passed since Israelis and Palestinians broke off peace talks, and already Israel is beginning to feel political and economic costs. Arab countries renewed their call for an economic boycott of Israel. Oman postponed a planned opening of an interest section in Israel and denied Israeli diplomats routine visas to the Persian Gulf state.

A move by the 22 members of the Arab League to freeze relations with Israel and reactivate an economic boycott of the Jewish state was a message to Israelis that they should reconsider a government that is leading the region into danger, Arab diplomats said Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted sharply to the Arab League resolution adopted at a two-day meeting in Cairo.

Angered by the settlement policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Arab countries on Sunday moved to freeze relations with the Jewish state in a sharp symbolic rebuke that could mean a major reversal of Israel's hard-won diplomatic gains of the past several years.

According to Edward Said (Commentary, April 29), complications in the Middle East peace process as well as Israel's recent incursion in Lebanon can be attributed to Arab "powerlessness." Wrong. For accuracy's sake, one must substitute "intransigence" for "powerlessness." Despite the July 1993 cease-fire agreement between the Israeli Defense Force and the Syrian-Iranian backed Hezbollah, 62 Israelis were killed and injured by Hezbollah aggression in the last 2 1/2 years. With regard to the implementation of the Middle East peace process, yes, the territories have been closed off. But again, only as a response to continued Arab terrorism.