The four members of the Palestinian delegation to the White House summit, which began yesterday, entered the White House's East Room first and sat down. An announcer told the dozens of journalists in attendance to turn off their cell phones, as the ceremony to launch the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians was about to begin.
Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political advisor Ron Dermer, entered next. They walked awkwardly past Saeb Erekat and Yasser Abed Rabbo and after a brief hesitation shook their hands. Then came National Security Advisor Uzi Arad, who over the past year and a half has refused Erekat's requests to meet with him several times, and attorney Isaac Molho. Arad shook Erekat's hand, smiling broadly, while Molho fell upon the chief Palestinian negotiator with hugs and kisses, despite denials from the Prime Minister's Bureau that the two had met in the past year.
After the joint dinner ceremony at the White House, the Israeli delegates found their seats dispersed among their Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian counterparts. They argued over what was more difficult, the Ramadan fast or those of Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, and the Israeli delegates declared the ice broken.
The event was mainly symbolic. The American administration intended it to be a festive one, with minimum controversy, that would infuse the parties with hope. Barack Obama, Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah, who spoke in English, focused primarily on vision and positive messages. Hosni Mubarak and Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke in Arabic, focused on the controversial issues, such as the demand to stop construction in West Bank settlements.
Abbas looked like someone who'd been dragged to a party against his will. He sat beside Netanyahu for an hour, hardly exchanging a word. Even the handshake the two leaders exchanged seemed no more than polite. In contrast to the Israeli prime minister, who tried to prove in his speech that he was full of good will and was looking ahead, Abbas spoke of the historic injustice done to the Palestinians, the blockade on Gaza and Israel's failure to keep agreements.
Netanyahu arrived in Washington with very little credit to his name and many promises he has yet to keep. Egyptian President Mubarak, with whom Netanyahu has forged a close relationship over the past year and a half, reminded him that he would soon be put to the test and challenged the Israeli leader to make good on his peace pledges.
"I met Netanyahu a few times since his election," Mubarak said at the ceremony. "He told me again and again he was serious and wants peace. Now is the time to show it."