Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., January 24, 2009 Tevet 28, 5769 | | Israel Time: 06:20 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert greeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit ahead of their meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 27/12/2006
Egyptian FM: Egypt knows captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is alive
By Yoav Stern and Gideon Alon, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and The Associated Press

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Wednesday that Egypt knows that captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive.

Aboul Gheit said Egypt is working to win the release of Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid by Hamas-linked militants in Gaza last
June.
Advertisement
"This is a very sensitive issue and we have to treat it with very serious
sensitivity," he said at a news conference in Jerusalem. "I hope and believe that he will be released ... but I emphasize that we are working hard for his release and we are sure that he is still alive."

Gheit met Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday in Jerusalem, and told him that Cairo was appreciative of Israel's policy of restraint, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The two met Wednesday morning as the Prime Minister's Office announced that Olmert will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheik on January 4.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Olmert and Aboul Gheit discussed the continuing Palestinian violations of the Gaza cease-fire.

"The Egyptian foreign minister expressed Egypt's deep appreciation for the Israeli policy of restraint, and its contribution to the strengthening of moderate elements in the Palestinian Authority," said the statement.

"The prime minister explained the complexity of the situation given the continued firing of missiles against Israel during the cease-fire, and the Israeli need to protect the lives and security of the citizens of the State of Israel," the statement continued.

The two also discussed the upcoming Red Sea summit between Olmert and Mubarak, which will deal with the developments between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the wake of Saturday's meeting between Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The meeting will also deal with continued arms smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip via the Philadelphi Route, as well as broader regional developments in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Abbas met with Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, to brief the Egyptian president about his Saturday meeting with Olmert.

Egypt has played a major role in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, and has been trying to negotiate the release of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by militants linked to Hamas, the militant group that controls the Palestinian parliament and cabinet.

Aboul Gheit is expected to discuss with officials in Israel the mediation efforts his country has undertaken on the release Shalit, even though no noticeable progress is expected in the near future.

The foreign minister is also expected to meet with officials to lay the groundwork for the meeting between Olmert and Mubarak.

In talks with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni later Wednesday, she demanded that Egypt take custody of Sudanese refugees who have infiltrated Israel through SinaI. Egypt, however, will only discuss the fate of 88 Sudanese who received refugee status in Cairo.

Aboul Gheit said Olmert's visit to Egypt next week could improve the
atmosphere and jumpstart the peace process.

Aboul Gheit met Wednesday several other politicians including Defense
Minister Amir Peretz, Likud party chair Benjamin Netanyahu and MK Silvan
Shalom. He also met with Labor's Ami Ayalon, and asked if he planned to run for party leadership.

Aboul Gheit said he did not discuss relations with Syria, despite estimations by Israeli political sources that the calls of Syrian President Bashar Assad for renewed peace negotiations with Israel would also be discussed during the meetings.

However, the arrival of the Egyptian foreign minister has led some, including MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud) to call on the government to declare him persona non grata and prevent Aboul Gheit's visit from taking place. Steinitz maintains that unless Aboul Gheit publicly declares that Egypt recognizes Israel's sovereignty over Eilat, he should not be allowed to visit Israel.

Several weeks ago, the Egyptian foreign minister claimed that Eilat is Palestinian territory.

"We must not accept this," Steinitz said. "Had the Egyptian foreign minister said that Gaza or Nablus belonged to the Palestinians, I could understand it, but 25 years after the signing of a peace agreement with Egypt, raising questions regarding Israel's sovereignty in Eilat is something that we must not allow to pass," the former head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee added.

Steinitz maintains that Aboul Gheit's statement was not a slip of the tongue but a sustained Egyptian effort to undermine Israel's sovereignty in the south. The Likud MK said President Mubarak ordered the creation of a panel of experts in 1995 to examine the legitimacy of Egyptian claims. The panel, Steinitz says, concluded that Egypt can claim the southern triangle of territory covered by Uvda, Yotvata and Eilat.

The Clinton administration pressured Egypt to shelve the panel's report, and Mubarak agreed to the request.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Geert accused
Dutch MP behind film on radical Islam says move to prosecute him is political.
Immunity for soldiers
Israel to approve aid for IDF officers accused of Gaza war crimes.
  1.   No Cairo for Katsav!! 02:53  |  Asa 27/12/06
  2.   Finally some reason! 11:05  |  RA 27/12/06
  3.   January 4 with Mubarak in Sharm-El-Sheikh. 12:18  |  sandra chitayat 27/12/06
  4.   Kassams in Gaza. 12:21  |  sandra chitayat. 27/12/06
  5.   We don`t need their appreciation. We need their actions. 13:58  |  Shlomo from Tel Aviv 27/12/06
  6.   Egyptian foreign policy.... 14:08  |  Palestinian in UK 27/12/06
  7.   Appreciation 14:11  |  Serge 27/12/06
  8.   When Israel is hurt Cairo appreciates it. 14:13  |  Brod 27/12/06
  9.   Palestinian in UK 14:38  |  rich 27/12/06
  10.   They want Eilat??? 14:59  |  Richard S 27/12/06
  11.   Palestinian in UK 15:01  |  Jasmine Murphy 27/12/06
  12.   Israeli capitulation - worse than France 16:50  |  Fred McCann 27/12/06
  13.   Where is the Red Cross and the UN? 16:56  |  KUTW 27/12/06
  14.   To Jasmine 17:00  |  Palestinian in UK 27/12/06
  15.   Gheit should go wherever he came from , as far 18:12  |  Sal 27/12/06
  16.   Olmert is inviting attacks from every country in the region ! 18:13  |  redmike 27/12/06
  17.   asa what`s your problem with Katsav? 18:18  |  Ari ben Yisrael 27/12/06
  18.   HOW DO WE KNOW ??BACAUSE WE ARE PART OF THE IMPRISONMENT ?? 18:56  |  paul harris 27/12/06
  19.   Palestinian in UK #14 - childish behaviour. 19:31  |  Marwan مروان خوري 27/12/06
  20.   Tribal self-glorification 19:56  |  Hannah 27/12/06
  21.   #16, Redmike 20:00  |  Hannah 27/12/06
  22.   #13, KUTW 20:04  |  Hannah 27/12/06
  23.   RESPONSE TO FRED MCCANN 20:58  |  KIPPERRAES 27/12/06
  24.   hannah 22:45  |  eva 27/12/06
  25.   hannah 22:50  |  Eva 27/12/06
  26.   How about Moussa egyptian arab league secretary 23:32  |  Joseph E . 27/12/06
  27.   How do we solve this sitaution? 02:57  |  milica 28/12/06
  28.   Egypt, known for its truthfulness 07:01  |  Rav Harley 28/12/06
  29.   egyptian foreign ministers visit to occupied palestinian land 20:41  |  ashruf 23/01/09
 Read & React
UN rights official: Gaza evokes memories of Warsaw Ghetto
Responses: 208
Obama: We will aggressively seek lasting Mideast peace
Responses: 168
Dutch MP behind film on radical Islam: Decision to prosecute me is political
Responses: 99
Israel to approve aid for IDF officers accused of Gaza war crimes
Responses: 99
Shashi Tharoor: India watched in envy as Israel attacked Gaza
Responses: 49


More Headlines
22:36 Paratrooper commander: IDF reached its goals in Gaza operation
21:52 Israel to approve aid for IDF officers accused of Gaza war crimes
02:07 Saudi envoy to U.S.: Obama mustn't repeat Bush's 'sickening legacy' in Mideast
03:40 Bishop's Holocaust remarks spark outrage, threaten Jewish-Vatican ties
20:19 Doctors: Many Palestinians in Gaza hospitals in danger of dying from their wounds
15:00 Israel's multi-faceted Gaza cease-fire
18:20 Israel to allow Egypt to boost force on Gaza border to fight smuggling
17:29 UNRWA chief: Israeli offensive in Gaza boosted extremists
11:49 Dutch MP behind film on radical Islam: Decision to prosecute me is political
18:01 IDF soldier suspected of seriously wounding Palestinian at West Bank checkpoint
19:55 U.S. Jews blast plan for anti-Israel UN official to attend Holocaust prayer service
19:01 Study: 20 years of conflict has cost Middle East $12 trillion
19:57 Dutch minister: Arabs need to learn more about Holocaust, Jews need to study Palestinian 'Nakba'
16:31 UN: Israel cooperating in efforts to improve Gaza humanitarian situation
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Summer in Israel
Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009
Blue And White Forever Israel Army T-shirts
Wear with Proud Donate the Soldiers Kit
You can make a direct IMPACT!
on the life of an Israeli soldier
State of Israel Bonds
During this time of market volatility, Israel bonds can help.
SURF RAMBAM
Keep current about new-wave medical care, education and research.
Summer Camp in Israel
The best place for your children this summer
Fattal Hotel Chain
Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved