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Lutfi al-Khuli and the Egyptian Peace Movement: A Missed Opportunity
Abstract
The conclusion of the Oslo Accords in the first part of the 1990s raised hopes and expectations that the road to resolving the Israeli-Arab conflict was on the horizon. Nevertheless, as far as Egyptian-Israeli complex relations were concerned, there has been no notable change, particularly at the level of people-to-people peace and cultural normalization. Things started to change slowly in the latter part of the 1990s. The ongoing dialogue between Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian representatives – known as the “Louisiana Process” led to the Copenhagen Declaration of 30 January 1997. Among the Egyptians who signed the declaration were the renowned intellectual Lutfi al-Khuli, Murad Wahba, ‘Abd al-Mun‘im Sa’id and ‘Ali al-Shalaqani. Soon afterwards, al-Khuli, as the mastermind and driving force founded (with his colleagues) in April 1998 the Egyptian Peace Movement (EPM). The EPM embraced the Copenhagen spirit that “peace is too important to be left only to governments. People-to-people contacts are vital to the success of the peace efforts in the region.” For several years, the EPM led the efforts to advance dialogues and understanding between the peoples of the region until the outset of the 2000s. The proposed paper will discuss the following issues: 1. The political biography of Lutfi al-Khuli – at times a dissident intellectual and sometimes an intellectual acting within the regime framework. Al-Khuli who started as a staunch opponent of Israel and opposed Sadat’s and Mubarak’s peace strategies, became a champion of peace with Israel in the outset of the 1990s. 2. Major phases in the history of the hitherto under investigated Egyptian Peace Movement – its bearers, activities, and contribution in advancing the Arab-Israeli peace process. 3. The reasons for the decline of the Egyptian Peace Movement following the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada and the deterioration in Israeli-Palestinian relations. 4. A retrospective analysis of the EPM’s achievements and failures and its legacy.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
Egypt
Sub Area
19th-21st Centuries