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Last update - 21:28 09/06/2009
Egypt, Saudis threaten to rescind Arab peace plan
By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Egypt, Israel news, Obama 

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been pressuring U.S. President Barack Obama to set a two-year deadline for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and threatening to rescind the Arab peace initiative, Egyptian sources said Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the London-based Arabic-language daily A-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Obama had presented to Egypt and Israel a plan for a two-state solution to be finalized within two years.

According to Egyptian sources, however, it was actually Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the country's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman who imposed the two-year deadline on Obama. They said that the Egyptians told Obama that the Arab peace initiative, which calls for normalized relations with the Arab world in return for territorial concessions, would crumble unless some real progress was made before the two-year deadline.
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"The initiative won't wait until your next term," the Egyptian officials warned Obama, and demanded results by the two year deadline.

Saudi King Abdullah communicated the same message to Obama on the eve of the American president's Cairo speech June 4, only using harsher tone and more explicit language than the Egyptian officials.

Though A-Sharq al-Awsat presented the two-year deadline idea as Obama's, the Egyptian officials revealed to Haaretz that it was the Arab side that came up with the time-frame, and that Obama adopted it and then "transferred the ball into [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's court."

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      1.   As if anyone cares 21:45  |  George W. Hayduke 09/06/09
      2.   Throw The Ball Back 22:05  |  Max 09/06/09
      3.   Everyone should stop their threats and preconditions 22:21  |  Giora Me`ir 09/06/09
      4.   who came up with the peace plan 22:24  |  Comic Arab 09/06/09
      5.   for once, I agree 22:26  |  Igor D. 09/06/09
      6.   Not much of a threat 22:27  |  Gee 09/06/09
      7.   You got to be kidding me 00:35  |  Bazmann 10/06/09
      8.   George: the stopping of aid may happen 00:37  |  Stephen L 10/06/09
      9.   well Gee you are such a wizard living there is a squatter colony 00:39  |  USA 10/06/09
      10.   A plausible story 00:57  |  mike 10/06/09
      11.   I agree with the time fram 01:02  |  Said 10/06/09
      12.   peace plan 01:09  |  Chappaqua neighbor 10/06/09
      13.   deadline 01:25  |  ricardo levy 10/06/09
      14.   facts or fictions 01:28  |  Israel Amchai 10/06/09
      15.   peace plan 01:54  |  bill 10/06/09
      16.   It Will Be Worth The Wait 02:02  |  Jeff Northridge 10/06/09
      17.   Saudis,Egipt,Obama. 02:08  |  Michelle 10/06/09
      18.   Wow! 02:15  |  utagawa 10/06/09
      19.   Saudia new declaration 02:37  |  Abdul Saud Al Bahar 10/06/09
      20.   Delighted if you did 02:44  |  Mark Lincoln 10/06/09
      21.   PLEASE DO REVOKE IT THAT WOULD SERVE ISRAELS INTERESTS BETTER 02:59  |  zionist forever 10/06/09
      22.   Then how credible is their "peace" 03:29  |  Shafrir Yisraeli 10/06/09
      23.   The arab impudence is simply stunning... 03:42  |  Daniel 10/06/09
      24.   WHAT PEACE PLAN?? 03:43  |  Brant 10/06/09
      25.   Peace is overrated. 04:07  |  Jasper 10/06/09
      26.   Jasper # 22 You are so right, Peace is overrated 04:31  |  American in NY 10/06/09
      27.   The Sauds and Egypt have no right putting a time on Israel and 05:04  |  ks 10/06/09
      28.   #27 It`s their offer, ks 15:22  |  Johnboy 10/06/09
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