International engagement and solidarity with the Middle East peace process have been essential ingredients of its success over the last four years. They are all the more necessary now that it has come under such severe strain as a result of the suicide bombing atrocities in Israel. Wednesday's summit meeting in Sharm elSheikh, followed by President Clinton's visit to Israel yesterday, are welcome affirmations of this engagement. It is to be hoped that they will keep the peace process alive through its most difficult moments.
The summit's most significant feature in regional terms was to have brought moderate Arab states together with the Israeli government and Mr Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation in condemnation of terrorism and in support of the peace process. This was the first time such a lineup has been seen in opposition to those who reject the process, both in Israel and the Arab states. Whether the summit carries sufficient authority to retrieve the peace process will depend critically on how the message goes down in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza. It is tilted towards Mr Shimon Peres and Mr Arafat as the process's main promoters. Both men will be able to draw comfort from it.
The summit statement fell short of condemning Iran or other states explicitly as responsible for sponsoring and promoting terrorist groups in the Middle East, as had been called for by the United States and Israel. Evidence will be assembled by an intelligence committee in coming weeks. It will have to overcome considerable scepticism among European Union states as to whether the case against Iran is proven. Many European governments take the view that it is better to engage with the Iranians than to boycott and excoriate them, in what is a notably different perspective from that of the US.
More generally the EU has become more assertive about its own distinctive interests in the Middle East over recent months. The Union provides the bulk of the international aid flowing to the region. It has taken an important initiative to develop relations with Mediterranean states, including many of those represented in Sharm el Sheikh. Diplomatically the EU has been critical of the Israeli blockade of the West Bank and Gaza. Its higher profile will be useful for Mr Arafat in his efforts to convince Palestinians that the peace process is worthy of continuing support.
In the same vein Mr Clinton's commitment of substantial extra resources to Israel's counter terrorism campaign yesterday, is calculated to reassure Israelis that they have strong international support. Although the President was careful to meet opposition leaders as well as the cabinet, his intervention is undoubtedly pitched at bolstering Mr Peres, who supports the process, rather than the opposition which is critical of it. The Israeli electorate will draw its own conclusions as to whether the security undertakings and the solidarity expressed by the summit are sufficient to give the process another chance. Despite some tension between them on priorities, the main interests involved moderate Arab States, including Mr Arafat, Israel and the US, the European Union and Russia make up a powerful coalition for peace in the region.