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Last update - 11:29 19/06/2009
Mubarak: Obama has put Arab-Israeli peace within reach
By Reuters
Tags: israel news, egypt

President Barack Obama's "reassertion" of U.S. leadership in the Middle East offers a rare opportunity to get peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said.

In an editorial in The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Mubarak said Obama was willing to take a lead in achieving peace and the Arab world would reciprocate.

"A historic settlement is within reach, one that would give the Palestinians their state and freedom from occupation while granting Israel recognition and security to live in peace," wrote Mubarak.
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"Egypt stands ready to seize that moment, and I am confident that the Arab world will do the same," he added.

The Bush administration waited until its final years in office to make a concerted effort on Israeli-Palestinian peace and was criticized by many Arabs for doing too little, too late.

Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell has traveled four times to the region this year in a bid to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that were cut off following Israel's invasion of Hamas-run Gaza last December.

Earlier this week, Mitchell was optimistic preparations for full-blown talks would be done soon although one stumbling block has been a dispute over Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, occupied since the 1967 Six Day War.

"Israel's relentless settlement expansion, which has seriously eroded the prospects for a two-state solution, must cease, together with its closure of Gaza," said Mubarak, referring to a blockade by Israel of Gaza which is controlled by the militant group Hamas.

Egypt has been trying to broker a power-sharing deal between the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and Hamas and Mubarak said the Palestinians must overcome their divisions to achieve their aspirations for statehood.

He said if Israel took "serious steps" toward peace with the Palestinians, the Arab world would do the same.

"The priority should be to resolve the permanent borders of a sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state, based on the 1967 lines, as this would unlock most of the other permanent status issues, including settlements, security, water and Jerusalem," said Mubarak.

Mubarak praised Obama's speech in Cairo earlier this month, calling it a turning point in U.S. relations with the Muslim world, but also stressing it had to be followed up with "forward-looking" steps.

"I look forward to working with the president to achieve that objective," said Mubarak.

Obama was criticized by some human rights groups for choosing Cairo as the venue for his speech because of Egypt's own rights record.

Mubarak said Egypt had implemented reforms but conceded more must be done. "We openly acknowledge that this process still has a way to go in fulfilling our aspirations," he added.

Israel to Arab states: Press PA to resume peace negotiations

Israel has sent messages to several Arab states recently, seeking to counter negative reactions to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Sunday and asking them to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume negotiations with Israel.

As part of this effort, National Security Council chairman Uzi Arad met with Egyptian officials in Cairo this week, including intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

In his speech, Netanyahu called for a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside a Jewish state of Israel. Though this is the first time since taking office that he has expressed support for a Palestinian state, several aspects of the speech sparked angry responses in Arab states. Therefore, a senior government source said, Israel is seeking to reassure these states that the change in Netanyahu's position is real.

Israel is asking Arab states to pressure Abbas to meet with Netanyahu and resume negotiations, the source said. So far, all contacts between Israel and the PA have been handled at a lower level and have been confined to day-to-day issues, as the Palestinians are refusing to resume final-status talks.

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      1.   But first Israel needs its own revolution. 08:02  |  Bernie 19/06/09
      2.   Obama has put mideast "peace" in reach 08:15  |  DT 19/06/09
      3.   Israel offers peace and the ?Palestinians? give them horrific ... 08:24  |  Lane 19/06/09
      4.   He meant to say Obama`s speach is peace, Netanyahu`s not! 09:18  |  Kris Lazar 19/06/09
      5.   IT IS ABOUT TIME, MUBY 09:55  |  indrajaya 19/06/09
      6.   #3 Lane appears to be 15 years behind the times 10:00  |  Johnboy 19/06/09
      7.   Borders 10:14  |  Sherlock Holmes 19/06/09
      8.   Egypt`s help is welcome 10:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/06/09
      9.   Interesting, isn`t it? 10:15  |  Johnboy 19/06/09
      10.   DT in TA - Mindboggling 10:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/06/09
      11.   egypt has had 30 years to make peace with israel 10:39  |  v hardman 19/06/09
      12.   Mubarak`s Peace 10:48  |  Paul G 19/06/09
      13.   BRAVO Obama! We Welcome Your INVOLVEMENT/Look Forward To PEACE. 11:45  |  U.S. Pal Defender 19/06/09
      14.   Too many trailing feet 12:00  |  Paul Rose 19/06/09
      15.   He`s done 10% of his own reforms, need another 300 years 12:21  |  Tom Lobo Meyer 19/06/09
      16.   indrajaya 12:30  |  oz 19/06/09
      17.   What is the definition of peace? 12:36  |  Ken 19/06/09
      18.   Write on Paul G, "Mubarak`s Peace" 12:47  |  yona 19/06/09
      19.   johnboy 12:47  |  oz 19/06/09
      20.   paul rose 13:02  |  ehud 19/06/09
      21.   Mubarak 13:10  |  danish 19/06/09
      22.   # 13, OZ 13:12  |  indrajaya 19/06/09
      23.   Paul Rose London 13:55  |  petra 19/06/09
      24.   Everyone Knows that Bush wanted no peace Mark of Lewiston 14:26  |  Mark Lincoln 19/06/09
      25.   CJK 14:34  |  Guido 19/06/09
      26.   let`s get real 14:43  |  real vision 19/06/09
      27.   #26 You know something, Real Vision? 15:40  |  Johnboy 19/06/09
      28.   Contiguous - Depends on Definition Whether Viable 16:02  |  Eli 19/06/09
      29.   EGYPT READY TO SIEZE THE MOMENT...EH? 16:05  |  Ian 19/06/09
      30.   #25, Guido 16:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/06/09
      31.   return to old borders 16:47  |  mo 19/06/09
      32.   Palestinians to become part of Jordan 18:35  |  cachanilla 19/06/09
      33.   Sherlock Holmes - international law trumps religious bigotry 18:40  |  Don 19/06/09
      34.   To Mo #31 - Why Should Brits Have To Return Anything to Turks? 18:40  |  Eli 19/06/09
      35.   To Johnboy - On RV and Your Post - How Do You Reconcile 19:02  |  Eli 19/06/09
      36.   too many trailing feet ...by Paul Rose 19:22  |  Ali 19/06/09
      37.   egypt 20:46  |  oz 19/06/09
      38.   Obama put Arab/Israeli peace within reach 21:39  |  Hilda 19/06/09
      39.   Mubarak 22:45  |  Yosemite 19/06/09
      40.   Orwellian! Mubarak is a LIAR, and Reuters should be ashamed 22:46  |  Doug 19/06/09
      41.   petra/23 23:53  |  Deacon2 19/06/09
      42.   They just can`t get over losing "67" war, can they? 23:59  |  ameneyman 19/06/09
      43.   #39 Doug It`s peculiar that since 1917 it`s stipulated... 00:41  |  Smadar 20/06/09
      44.   Arab Charades 01:10  |  Baruch Gold 20/06/09
      45.   Barack, meet Hosni. And listen carefully to him. 03:09  |  Morris Valentine 20/06/09
      46.   Johnboy hides behind a half-truth 03:16  |  Morris Valentine 20/06/09
      47.   #44, Morris Valentine, I too wonder 04:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/06/09
      48.   #34 Thanks for the laugh, Eli 04:54  |  Johnboy 20/06/09
      49.   Obama pushed, but Netanyahu makes it possible 04:58  |  Avraham 20/06/09
      50.   #45 Terrific sleight-of-hand there, Mr. Valentine 05:04  |  Johnboy 20/06/09
      51.   To Ali from Singapore 05:04  |  Sel 20/06/09
      52.   #25 Guido - Making compromises and 05:18  |  *BEN JABO 20/06/09
      53.   #32 Don - Texas - Funny you should say that 05:20  |  *BEN JABO 20/06/09
      54.   You`re still only `sleightly` right, Johnboy (#50) 05:52  |  Morris Valentine 20/06/09
      55.   Ben Jabo, the PLO/Fatah have recognized Israel 07:37  |  Palestinian Prince 20/06/09
      56.   Ben Jabo, the PLO/Fatah have recognized Israel 07:37  |  Palestinian Prince 20/06/09
      57.   # 53 Ben Jabo not only Texas 14:31  |  petra 20/06/09
      58.   MV and the whole truth 15:06  |  facts omitted 20/06/09
      59.   Interesting post by Petra (#55) 17:08  |  Morris Valentine 20/06/09
      60.   #56 facts neglecteed 19:54  |  *BEN JABO 20/06/09
      61.   #54 Outrage is no substitute for Evidence, Morris (2nd try) 09:05  |  Johnboy 21/06/09
      62.   #60 BEN JABO repeats his fantasy 00:55  |  Johnboy 22/06/09
      63.   #55 PP 05:50  |  *BEN JABO 22/06/09
      64.   JB - and your point being what, exactly? 16:44  |  Morris Valentine 22/06/09
      65.   #64 You keep polishing an apple and claiming it`s an orange 08:36  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      66.   #62 Johnboy - Still playing ostrich, head in the sand 17:22  |  *BEN JABO 23/06/09
      67.   #66 Sabres were being rattled, BEN, but only one side attacked 01:55  |  Johnboy 24/06/09
      68.   #67 Johnboy , you wouldn`t know a sabre from a bagel 06:11  |  *BEN JABO 24/06/09
      69.   To JB (#65): Keep buffing that turd 07:55  |  Morris Valentine 24/06/09
      70.   #69 Making one more attempt to reply to Morris 03:15  |  Johnboy 26/06/09
      71.   #68 Making one more attempt to respond to BEN 03:16  |  Johnboy 26/06/09
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