August  5, 2002

Mubarak underlines Egypt's willingness to support reaching peace

    President Hosni Mubarak on Monday underlined Egypt's willingness to extend all support for reaching peace in the region. President Mubarak, at a meeting with Israeli pressmen, with MENA attending, confirmed the necessity that the Israelis should respond to all efforts to reach a peaceful settlement.

    President Mubarak warned also against maintaining the deteriorated situation and counter-violence in as long as the Palestinians are kept under siege in their cities and villages.

    The Palestinians should have some hope for reaching a just and satisfactory settlement to their cause, said President Mubarak.

    There is something wrong in the current Israeli policy, said the President noting that the Israeli officials should be aware of that and reconsider their calculations.

    The President confirmed that violence will never lead to getting out of the current deteriorated situation.

    President Mubarak also confirmed that the vicious circle of violence will never stop under the current Israeli practices. The Palestinian and Israeli peoples are footing the bill for this violence, said the President.

    The Palestinians will never give up their rights which they fought for during the past 50 years, said the President noting that they will keep fighting for their rights for the coming 50 years if need arises.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon does not have a peace plan and has no hope in as long as the incumbent Israeli government does not have a clear peace plan, said President Mubarak.

    President Mubarak also underlined the necessity of Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian territories which were reoccupied since September 2000 to pave the way for negotiations.

    As for reports on a loss of confidence between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Sharon, President Mubarak said that negotiations usually take place between delegations and sometimes these negotiations would be held between enemies and rivals.

    This is why Arafat and Sharon should sit to the negotiating table, said the President.

    Answering a question on whether there are new peace plans, President Mubarak said that there are many proposed peace plans but what matters is that Israel should adhere to its pledges.

    President Mubarak said that he actually respects Israeli former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin who adhered to all commitments agreed upon between both sides.

    President Mubarak further highlighted the necessity of confidence- building between Palestinians and Israelis to get out of the current crisis.

    As for reforms the Palestinian National Authority is required to carry out, Mubarak said that implementing these reforms will be too difficult in as long as Arafat and the Palestinian people are kept under siege.