BEIRUT, 27 March — The last time I was in Beirut the music we heard was mostly explosions. In fact, near the Bristol Hotel where we are staying now there was an enormous explosion. Today’s Beirut, however, is a far cry from that. It has passed that phase of death and destruction. It has remodeled and reinvented itself. The dominant sound in the new Beirut is that of progress and the change that one notices is not only in the surroundings but in the people’s attitude. There are no roaming militias, no snipers. The only armed presence is the military who are in almost every street, checking passes and, at times, searching cars. And even they have undergone change. The Lebanese military personnel that we see are all young, smart and polite. Their dealings with the public could, without stretching credulity, be compared to those of public relations people!
The whole city is geared for today’s summit and there is tight security around the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel, the venue of the meeting. The city itself has been given a facelift with pot holes filled in, facades of some shell-scarred buildings repaired and other remnants of the long civil war covered over. A fresh spirit seems to have infused the city with colorful banners reading: “Vive le Liban” and “Liban Welcomes Guests of the Arab Summit.”
What impresses me most as a mediaperson are the media facilities. The media are housed in the Children’s Museum beside the Starco Building near the Phoenicia Hotel. Dozens of computers, faxes, printers and user-friendly equipment are in place. There are hundreds of journalists from around the world. It is almost like a United Nations of journalists. And of course there are the stars! I finally met Christiane Amanpour after almost 10 years. Rula Amin of CNN too was there talking to members of the Palestine delegation. Brent Sadler, also of CNN — who looks like Arab News’ own Roger Harrison — was seen drinking an espresso. Use of the “nargila” or water pipe was high with even the Japanese journalists giving it a try!
The whole media center atmosphere, though festive in nature, is very business-like with ringing telephones, smoke rising to the ceiling and people glued to their screens. You hear the babble of many different languages. I bumped into a young Saudi reporter, Tareq Al-Humaid of Al-Madinah newspaper, and was pleased to see him, dressed casually, laptop in hand poring over the schedule of press conferences. I wish our newspapers would send more reporters. These conferences are great training grounds.
The talk among the journalists focused on whether the Israelis would lift the restrictions on President Yasser Arafat so that he could attend the summit. There are also some exchanges on whether somebody pulled a prank on Al-Jazeera television by telling them that Egypt would not be at the conference. However, Egypt’s participation was confirmed yesterday by the arrival of Prime Minister Atef Obeid.
And even the Western journalists had a big laugh at the offer from Ariel Sharon — who is widely known as the “Butcher of Sabra and Shatila” — to come to the summit. And of course the most important topic being discussed is the initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah. His plan offers hope of a major breakthrough, especially at this critical period when the Palestinians are being slaughtered in their own Israeli-occupied lands.
The fact that Saudi Arabia as a country and its crown prince who is viewed as a staunch supporter of Palestinian rights is the source of the plan gives it weight and substance that would not otherwise have accrued to it. There have been some amused faces among the journalists concerning George W. Bush’s “request” to Sharon to allow President Arafat to attend the summit! Bush and his deputy Dick Cheney feel that if Arafat is not there, he will become the focus.
A Scandinavian journalist asked me whether Arafat should attend. My reply was that he would contribute positively to the summit but my feelings are that the general Palestinian population would not want him to attend if he has to be subject to Sharon’s conditions. It would be demeaning. Besides he may not be allowed to return to his own homeland by Sharon whose personal hatred for Arafat is wellknown. How can you trust a man whose hands are covered with the blood of 1,500 innocent refugees in Sabra and Shatila? Suddenly we were interrupted by an Indian journalist who felt that whatever happens concerning Arafat, Israel’s stability has already been shaken. It has in essence ruled out the Arab offer before the official announcement. The world expects — and rightly so — that the United States, Israel’s main financial backer and weapons provider, the American Jewish organizations which pour millions of dollars annually into Israeli coffers and all reasonable Israelis must shed the ghetto mentality and view this genuine offer very seriously. That is if any of them are concerned about Israel’s future. We all pray that peace and wisdom will prevail.
