On the scene with Ben Wedeman in Cairo

Ben Wedeman

CNN.com spoke with CNN Cairo Bureau Chief Ben Wedeman who is covering this weekend's emergency Arab summit, which gets under way Saturday.

Q: What are the expectations for this summit?

WEDEMAN: This is an emergency summit, originally scheduled for early next year. But as a result of the violence in Israel and Palestinian territories, they moved it up quite quickly.

Obviously, the principal topic of discussion will be the situation regarding what's left of the peace process. The object is to express support in some way for the Palestinians in their current struggle with Israel. The main issue of contention is just how strong a position the member countries of the Arab League should take against Israel. There are some, such as Iraq, that are calling for a jihad, or holy war, against Israel; other more moderate Arab states, like Egypt and Jordan, underscore their desire to continue the peace process, to end the violence and to get the peace process back on track.

All of this is taking place against increasingly turbulent protests in the streets of Arab cities with people calling for more vigorous action against the Israelis. ... Some people would like to see even more drastic action, such as military actions against Israel. So it's a very uncertain time.

Q: Can the peace process be revived as a result of the summit?

WEDEMAN: Nobody is expecting that the peace process is going to be put back on track as a result of this meeting. The survival of the peace process isn't really up to the Arab states. It's really a triangular relationship between Israel, the United States and the Palestinians. And it's only from within that relationship that the peace process can be resolved.

States like Egypt which have a good deal of influence with the Palestinians and some influence with Israel can assist the efforts of the United States. But ultimately, and this is one of the sore points among Arabs, is that the Arab states ... have very little leverage over the (peace process) situation ...

Q: What bearing is the summit likely to have in the regions where violence has intensified, and is a communique expected?

WEDEMAN: Yes, a communique is expected. One has already been circulated, and subsequently widely condemned by many as being too soft. If the final communique is soft, it will not satisfy the Palestinians, and it will enrage many of the ordinary Arabs -- many of whom have been demonstrating against Israel and calling for a harder line. If it is too strong, it could complicate the situation by raising the level of rhetoric in the region, antagonizing the Israelis.

Q: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said today that if it appears the violence is continuing "we will take time out to reevaluate the situation of the peace process." Are statements like those having any sort of ripple effect among Arab nations?

WEDEMAN: It's not necessarily the statements that are having the effect. It's the actions that are having the impact. Friday for instance, there's news (of more) people being killed in the West Bank and Gaza. That is going to have a very profound effect not only on the ground throughout the Arab world, but also here at the summit.

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