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Friday, April 25, 1997
TV PROGRAMME Egypt is not in favour of holding a full Arab summit, because it could complicate Middle East peace talks, President Hosni Mubarak said in an interview broadcast yesterday to mark the 15th Anniversary of the full restoration of Sinai. Even a mini-peace summit between Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian leaders hinges on Israeli willingness to reconsider its settlement policy in Arab East Jerusalem, he told the "Cood Morning Egypt" TV programme. Asked if he thought the time was right for a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, he said: "We have no objection, if that's going to solve the problem...But the Prime Minister of Israel must come to remove the causes of the present dispute. "I don't want to say it in detail but he knows this. (If he) removes the causes of the present dispute, I've no objection after that to call a summit in Cairo attended by the prime minister of Israel, King Hussein of Jordan, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and we could talk about this subject in coordination with the United States as sponsor of the peace process," President Mubarak added. President Mubarak repeated the Arab view that the main cause of the crisis in peace talks is Netanyahu's decision to go ahead with building housing units for Jews on a hill in the half of Jerusalem occupied in 1967. "That's the crux. That's what stirred up the present problem. That's what created the lack of trust in the Israeli government on the part of the Arab and Muslim peoples" he said. On the Arab summit, he said: "There are people who call for it but what's the point...I am personally not in favour of holding a summit now because it could take a stance that might complicate matters. "We don't want to complicate things, we want to simplify things. Let the summit convene when there's something clear and the door has been completely shut and there's no way out of holding an Arab summit." Syria and Libya are among Arab states in favour of a summit to take a strong line against Israel. The last summit, held in Cairo last June, told Israel that Arab states would reconsider steps towards normal relations if Netanyahu's government reneged on peace agreements. An Arab ministerial meeting last month put the threat into practice with recommendation that Arab states suspend normalization and revive the economic boycott of Israel. In the interview, President Mubarak explained the difficulties Egypt passed through to fully restore Sinai. "When I assumed office in October 1981 things were quite difficult and we faced a serious problem as regards restoring the rest of Sinai as Israel put hurdles to avoid implementing the peace accords or exerted pressures on me to accept anything. In fact, I never succumb to pressure from here or there, but I always listen to the sound of reason when making a judgment or decision," President Mubarak told "Good Morning Egypt". "During that time, an Israeli envoy came here asking me to sign a new declaration of principles and I refused saying that we already had the Camp David Accords upon which our negotiations were based and treaties were signed," President Mubarak said. "In January 1982, problems increased and many attempts were made to hinder implementing the deal and every time such a thing occurred I stood against that telling them that if the treaty was not carried out on time, I would have another stand with them, or with the others. Even two days before the hand-over of the rest of Sinai, Israelis created a problem over Taba claiming that it belonged to them and they were building a hotel there. But, I insisted on not to give up one inch of land that belongs to Egypt. It is an Egyptian land that is owned by all Egyptians and I talk on their behalf . The land. for Egyptians is honor. For this, we signed an agreement that called for international arbitration on Taba with the Israelis, who created that problem to delay their full withdrawal from Sinai on April 25. But I was patient with them in order to regain the full of Sinai on time," Mr. Mubarak added. He also said that the Middle East peace process is passing through a similar circumstances as the Israelis are putting hurdles in the way of implementing their accords with the Palestinians with regards to building settlements in Arab East Jerusalem and that left negative impacts on the Syrian and Lebanese peace tracks. "I talked with the preceding Israeli governments (of Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres) and the current one of Benjamin Netanyahu about the sensitivity of Jerusalem issue that should be solved through negotiations among the parties concerned after implementing the signed agreements ," the President told "Good Morning Egypt". "When the agreements are honored and the Palestinians restore their land as specified in the Oslo Accords, they (Palestinians and Israelis) could sit down and talk about solving the Jerusalem issue and reach a satisfactory formula for both of them. And all world powers back this step. That was what I advised Rabin, Peres and Netanyahu to do in order to keep the peace process going. But, no one listened to my advice," President Mubarak said. "I want peace to prevail in the whole region so that all of its peoples will enjoy a peaceful life," Mr. Mubarak said, warning anew of the grave consequences that might overshadow the region if the peace process failed. "Therefore, I call again on the whole world to support this process and in the meantime urge Israel to prevent its collapse," he said. He also said that the Palestinians informed him that they would not be able to resume the peace negotiations with Israel unless the Netanyahu Government reconsider its stand on the new Jewish settlement in Abu Ghoniem. As for the Syrian peace track, it is known that Damascus would never give up the Golan Heights, which is an unquestionable issue. the Egyptian leader said. "President Hafez al-Assad' would not accept to surrender one inch of the Golan as we have already stated that land is honor," President Mubarak said, adding that the former government was ready to withdraw from the Golan in rectum for open borders, normalization of ties between the two countries and the Syrian brothers were in favour of that. But when Netanyahu came to office, President Mubarak added, he said that there would be no Golan and I told him if there were no withdrawal from Golan, then there would be no negotiations. As for the Lebanese peace track, President Mubarak said that he delivered a message from Netanyahu to President Assad about the "Lebanon First" proposal, which the Syrian leader rejected, as that Syria and Lebanon are together in peace moves with Israel. On the domestic issues, President Mubarak told "Good Morning Egypt" that the government of Dr. Kamal El-Ganzouri is keen on promoting the standard of living of the citizens through the increase in production and the launching of giant venture projects with Asian countries as well as implementing the Toshki project in Upper Egypt which would yield profits to the nation. |
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