Conflict Blotter

Yediot Ahranot reminds us of the grim history of Sharm al Sheikh summits:

1996: Sharm summit attended by Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, Jacques Chirac, John Major, Helmut Kohl, Jordan’s King Hussein, Morocco’s King Hassan, Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres. The summit aimed to stop Hamas’ bombing campaign and save Peres from electoral defeat to Netanyahu. RESULT: Peres lost to Netanyahu

1997: Newly elected PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mubarak in Sharm al Sheikh and the two agree to freeze Jewish settlement construction in Jerusalem. RESULT: Construction continues.

1999: Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak meet in Sharm with the US Secretary of State and King Hussein present, and agree to West Bank lands including three villages close to Jerusalem, to be turned over to Palestinians. RESULT: Land was never turned over.

2000: Barak and Arafat meet again in Sharm al Sheikh in a bid to nudge along the floundering peace process. RESULT: Second Intifada breaks out four months later.

2003: George W. Bush meets with Ariel Sharon, Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah, and Mahmoud Abbas in Sharm al Sheikh. RESULT: Detailed timetable agreed for implementing the roadmap.

2005: Abbas and Sharon meet in Sharm and Abbas declared the Intifada over and Sharon hinted Israle might withdraw its army to pre-Intifada positions. RESULT: Nada.