The international conference on economic reconstruction in Gaza, which begins today in Cairo, will be attended by delegates from dozens of countries around the world. US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to be the leading delegate, together with the foreign ministers of Norway and several Arab countries. Israel was not invited, and will not be sending a representative.
It was reported last week that Egypt had sent invitations to all the countries scheduled to attend the conference, and had not included Israel. According to Western sources briefed about preparations for the conference, the reason for Israel's exclusion is that Israeli participation would make the conference less effective, by turning the conference into a confrontation between representatives of Israel, the Palestinians, and Arab countries. The US, Norway, and other countries tried to persuade Egypt to change its decision, but failed.
Israel's exclusion from the conference comes at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman, and other parties in Israel are emphasizing the quiet rapprochement between Israel and Arab countries, and Israel's common interests with its neighbors. A senior Western diplomat said last week that the decision not to invite Israel had been coordinated with senior officials in Jerusalem, who did not wish to have an Israeli representative take part in a discussion with a representative of the Palestinian unity government.
The diplomat stated yesterday, "Israel and Egypt are in constant contact in all matters pertaining to the Gaza Strip including the international conference in Cairo. Israel's not sending its own delegation at this time is probably more comfortable for both parties. It weakens Netanyahu's claim of becoming closer to the Arab world, but it strengthens his relations with Sisi."
"An Israeli representative could have refuted accusations raised against it"
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, on the other hand, some sources called Israel's absence from the conference a "missed opportunity." A senior Foreign Ministry sources said, "An Israeli representative at the conference could have presented our point of view on demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and could have rebuffed accusations raised against Israel during the discussions. There is also symbolic value in having an Israeli representative participate in a discussion with representatives of the countries in the region." The Ministry believes that Israel should make an effort to attend the conference, despite the Egyptian position.
Several government ministers, headed by Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, Minister of Science, Space and Technology Yaakov Perry, and Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni, called during Operation Protective Edge for an international conference on Gaza, in which Israel would also participate. Jerusalem believes that the conference will deal mainly with economic issues, and that the countries participating in it will look for ways to rebuild the Gaza Strip, while strengthening Palestinian Authority chairman Abu Mazen and weakening the status of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 12, 2014
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