By Inigo Gilmore
This Is LondonOctober 10, 2001
Leaders of moderate Arab nations are demanding greater US backing for the cause of Palestinian self-determination as their price for curbing opposition to allied air strikes against Afghanistan.
Since the strikes began Egypt's foreign minister Ahmed Maher has walked a tightrope between Washington and appeasing the restive Egyptian public, many of whom are uneasy about the allied action.
He said Middle East terrorism would persist as long as Palestinians were denied statehood, breeding resentment and frustration and recruits for violent extremists.
While supporting America's right to combat terrorism, Mr Maher upheld what he called the Palestinians' right to keep fighting Israel. "The right of resistance to oppressors cannot be denied," he said. "There is an enormous difference between resistance and terrorism."
Egypt is seen as a voice of moderation and a key opinion maker in the Middle East. It helped the US rally Arab support for the Gulf War against Iraq.
Like other countries in the region, Israel's neighbour has clamped down on demonstrations by students in Cairo and on other groups since the start of the air strikes. It is desperate to appease its own public with evidence that progress is being made on the Palestinian issue, a rallying point for Muslims across the region.
The Palestinian issue will be one of the main points of discussion today among Arab foreign ministers at an emergency meeting of the Islamic Conference Organisation in Qatar.
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