Oct  14, 2001

Mubarak in an interview with Israeli T.V:
Egypt does not seek war but keen to
enhance development

President Hosni Mubarak underlined that the establishment of the independent Palestinian State was the guarantee for security, stability and peace in the Middle East.

    In an interview with the Israeli TV broadcast late Sunday, Mubarak said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the Israeli government should lift the siege of the Palestinians and implement the Mitchell report, adding this should have been done months ago.

    President Mubarak asserted that the continuation of siege meant the continuation of violence.

    On the anti-terrorism campaign, Mubarak expressed conviction that the United States would not expand the circle of fighting or shell any Arab country as part of this campaign.

    President Mubarak said that the Palestinian resistance cannot be described as terrorism, adding that headway in solving the Palestinian cause was the way for restoring calm.

    East Jerusalem and Al Haram Al Sharif are Palestinian lands, Mubarak said, stressing that no one could accept Al Quds (Jerusalem) to be under Israeli sovereignty.

    “East and West Jerusalem can be a unified city where the two sides (Arabs and Israelis) can live in peace,” Mubarak said.

    Commenting on reports purporting that Sharon ordered easing off the siege and removing barriers without waiting to a cooling off period, Mubarak said this should have taken place long time ago.

    "Siege triggers explosions and we should not fool ourselves about that," said Mubarak.

    “If there was a decision to lift siege, which should have been taken a long time ago, I commend it but the important thing is (for Sharon) to implement it,” Mubarak said.

    Mubarak was hopeful Sharon would put such a decision into effect as a step on the way for peace and calmness to be followed by the implementation of Mitchell plan.

    “All we are concerned about is peace”, said Mubarak, asserting that Egypt is helping to achieve peace and not stir up problems.

    Mubarak accused Sharon of stymieing relations with Egypt by failing to live up to his promises.

    On whether Palestinian opposition groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad would accept progress in the peace process, Mubarak asserted that no one refuses peace.

    On reports about an American peace plan and whether there was a need for such a plan, Mubarak made it clear that the US did not speak about an American plan.

    If there was an American plan it is always an Israeli in the end, said Mubarak, asserting that previous experiences had proved that.

    Taking up US President George Bush's statements, Mubarak asserted that the Palestinian state will, willy-nilly, be established. "Which is better for them (the Israelis) to deal with a state or with groups of suicide bombers?" Mubarak wondered, favouring the first.

    On whether there was a need for a third party in the peace talks, Mubarak stressed that Israel is the one that does not want direct talks, recalling that Sharon had so many times cancelled proposed meetings between Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

    “Of course there is no need for a third party if the two sides can sit down together, talk and honour what they agree upon," said Mubarak.

    Mubarak reaffirmed that Egypt had withdrawn its ambassador from Tel Aviv protesting the mass killing of Palestinians.

    Asked about the possibility of returning the ambassador or naming anew one, Mubarak said it was "possible" if things were calmed down and negotiations resumed.

    On the arrest, in May, of members of the Islamic Jihad movement, Mubarak said this issue was an old one but they (Americans) announced it now. "They are not members of Al Qae’da," asserted Mubarak, adding that these groups are funded from abroad.

    "You (Israel) are the cause of terrorism," said Mubarak, adding that late President Anwar Al Sadat was killed because he was dealing with Israel and achieved peace with it.

    On claims that Sadat was killed because extremists sought the establishment of an Islamic state that enforces Shariaa (Islamic law), Mubarak stressed that by Islamic state extremists meant a country that does not deal with Israel or a state that should not heave peace with it.

    Asked whether Osama Bin Laden was harming the Palestinian cause by justifying the terrorist attacks as retaliation, Mubarak said “we have nothing to do with Bin Laden and never dealt with him", adding that Arafat is the one who should say whether Bin Laden was harming the Palestinian cause.

    On whether the possibility of expanding the American campaign to Arab and Islamic countries would create problems for Arab governments, Mubarak said "I do not think the American Administration would expand the cycle of fighting because this will not be in its interest". “If the US attacks an Arab country this will be interpreted as being motivated by Israel or the Jewish lobby,” Mubarak asserted.

    On whether he was given promises that the US would not expand the scale of its campaign to include Arab or Islamic countries, Mubarak said, "I did not receive promises." He reaffirmed his ability to understand the whole situation adding it was, for him, as an "open book".

    Asked, as a military expert, on whether the US could be able to arrest Bin Laden without using ground forces and whether the US would use its marines in Afghanistan, Mubarak said, “I do not think the United States would use ground forces in Afghanistan.”

    He assented that such an operation would cause huge casualties and might not achieve the goal.

    Mubarak described Bin Laden's new threats of counter-attacks and fresh plane attacks as tantamount to a psychological war.

    Asked whether there was a difference between killing "innocents" in New York, Tel Aviv or Cairo, Mubarak underlined that the people trying to restore their lands are not terrorists.

    On whether some western governments had responded to Egypt's request to hand over terrorists and not to give them political asylum, Mubarak said some countries are cooperating.

    Asked if Azerbaijan had handed over to Egypt some terrorists, Mubarak declined to speak about specific details which might be true or false, adding "we received some people".

    Mubarak said that Israel also has terrorists and gives them political asylum.

    Commenting on claims that there are no terrorists or terrorism in Israel, Mubarak said you (Israel) taught them (terrorists) terrorism.

    President Mubarak asserted that 70 to 80 percent of the Middle East problems are caused by terrorism, adding that the remaining 20 percent can be resisted by the countries.

    He voiced belief that lifting the siege, in phases, and resuming peace negotiations would make things much better.

    Asked whether making headway in the peace talks meant, according to Camp David breadline, dividing Al Quds (Jerusalem), Mubarak said when matters come to religion people are driven to madness.

    They (Palestinians) told you (Israel) that Jerusalem can be one capital for two states and he (Arafat) would have given you (Israel) the Wailing Wall, the Jewish neighbourhood and the other three quarters," he recalled.

    Mubarak said once the issue of A1 Quds is settled, the Palestinians and Israelis would be able to resolve the problem of refugees.

    On whether the would-be Palestinian State would accept to live in peace with Israel as a neighbour, Mubarak wondered what else would they do. "You (Israel) have planes, artillery, marines, you have everything and they (Palestinians) only have some machine guns they bought from you.

    Asked if a war flared up between the Palestinians and Israelis would that cause an Arab country to join hands in fighting Israel, Mubarak asserted that "Egypt" will not fight, adding that his country is preoccupied with development.

    President Mubarak asserted that Syrian President Bashar Al Assad wants peace, but must restore all his lands.

    “Bashar cannot concede any part of the occupied land especially that Egypt had restored all of its lands,” said Mubarak.