Letters: Egypt and the credibility of the Middle East peace process

Ian McEwan misleadingly calls the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra “Daniel Barenboim’s … Orchestra” ( Letters , 26 January). In fact the orchestra was established by Barenboim together with my late husband, Edward Said . In responding to the writers urging Mr McEwan not to accept the Jerusalem prize, Mr McEwan says “there are ways in which art can have a longer reach than politics and for me the emblem in this respect is […] the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra”. But there is a significant difference between our project and his accepting the Jerusalem prize. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement’s policy is “to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel”. It does not call for a boycott against all Israelis, but those affiliated with institutions that support the Israeli state and its policies and who do not express support for the Palestinian struggle against occupation. Barenboim, Said, myself and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra do not meet any of those criteria. Mr McEwan is going to accept a prize sponsored by the municipality, a key institution of the Israeli state. In accepting the prize, Mr McEwan does indeed meet the criteria outlined by the Boycott movement. Mariam Said New York • As an elected member of the Israeli parliament, Haneen Zoabi can perhaps afford to take her hardline stance ( Comment , 31 January), whereas the official Palestinian representatives, whom she so decries, must take a more reasonable and practical position. It is ironic that she can express her views with impunity from the heart of, and courtesy of the freedoms provided by, the Jewish state, while in the same breath denying it recognition or legitimacy. It’s time for the Muslim world to accept and recognise the legitimacy and permanence of Israel as a Jewish state because this too is not negotiable. Impasse? Alastair Albright London • Whatever the outcome in Egypt ( Reports , February 1), one hopes Israel, at least, has learned one salient lesson. Israel relinquished the Sinai peninsula, captured in 1967, together with its oilfields and the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, for a peace treaty with Egypt. It now appears that this piece of paper is worth no more than the staying power of this Egyptian administration. A sobering lesson for any future “peace treaties”. Allan Solomon Watford, Hertfordshire • America’s credibility problem has become acute. It claims to support democracy in the Middle East, but at any time in the last 30 years it could have used pressure to guide Mubarak’s regime towards at least minimal reforms. On the other hand, it slapped crippling sanctions on the Palestinians when they voted, in free and fair elections, for a party the US and Israel disliked. Hilary Wise London Israel Palestinian territories Middle East Ian McEwan Egypt Hosni Mubarak guardian.co.uk

Posted by on February 2, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry