Former United States President Bill Clinton has proved brilliantly in the last two days how he remains, diplomatically, a “feather to every wind that blows”, according to the Saudi Arab News daily.
Clinton, according to the paper, had two extremely different messages for two different audiences. While in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the former U.S. President predicted that there would be a Palestinian State in Gaza and the West Bank. This was the first time a leading American figure had made such a linkage.
However, just some hours and kilometers away, at the Tel Aviv University in Israel, at a ceremony in which Clinton received an honorary doctorate, the former President had quite a different message to convey to his audience. Israel’s Prime Minister Sharon, Foreign Minister Peres and many other prominent Israeli figures were among the guests in the fancy celebration.
Clinton said that, while all was not lost in the peace process, it would take "a major act of providence" to pull the region out of violence and bloodshed, which broke out again 16 months ago. Clinton was now talking of the need for a "miracle", as opposed to his optimistic message conveyed to his Jeddah listeners just hours before.
"Don’t give up, don’t give in, God works in strange ways — a miracle will yet present itself," he said in Tel-Aviv. With regards to why the peace process was in a "failure" mode, Clinton replied "I hope I can figure out the answer before I write my book," he said. "I think I spent more time with the Palestinian team than any other U.S. President. The honest truth is I don’t know."
During lunch with the Israeli Prime Minister, Clinton had some disregardful words for Yasser Arafat. He stated that the Palestinian leader had missed an "historic" chance for peace. "Chairman Arafat missed a golden opportunity to make that agreement. I think the violence and terrorism which followed were not inevitable and have been a terrible mistake", Clinton conveyed at the University ceremony.
Clinton was scheduled to hold talks with a Palestinian delegation in Tel Aviv, including senior negotiators Saeb Erekat and General Muhammad Dahlan, Head of Preventative Security in the Gaza Strip, however, not with President Arafat himself. (Albawaba.com)
