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Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. (AP)
Last update - 20:36 21/04/2007
Israel welcomes Musharraf's mediation offer
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Israel on Saturday welcomed an offer by Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but said it was doubtful the Pakistani leader could make much progress.

Musharraf made the surprise offer Friday in an interview with the Arab satellite station Al-Arabiya. He told the Dubai-based station that he would even be willing to visit the Jewish state to help bring peace to the Middle East.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Pakistan's involvement would be welcomed, but said Musharraf's effectiveness would likely be limited.
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"Israel believes that moderate Muslim countries like Pakistan can play a very important role in helping and strengthening the Middle East peace process," Regev said.

"Having said that, experience has clearly demonstrated that the most successful mediators have always been those that have established and solid relationships with both sides," he said.

Pakistan - a key ally in the U.S.-led war against terrorism - has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel and supports a separate state for Palestinians with Jerusalem as its capital.

In the interview aired late Friday, Musharraf said he was enthusiastic to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and would go to Israel if his offer to be involved in a mediation process was accepted.

Musharraf said he could also start his talks first with the Palestinians, "or maybe in some third country ... going to Israel is also a possibility."

"It will be an honor, if I can contribute in any way," said Musharraf, although he has so far not been asked to mediate. "If there was a role that I can play, and both sides accept that role, yes, indeed, I would like to play that role."

The Pakistani leader suggested that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will not be solved unless solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are found first, adding that these solutions would have an impact on the stability of the Mideast, and will also bring serenity and stability throughout the region and beyond.

Pakistan has not been yet involved in any negotiations on the Arab region, but hosted talks in late February in Islamabad, attended by Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, on issues ranging from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to the war in Iraq and the standoff with Iran.

In September 2005, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri met with then Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in Istanbul in the first publicly acknowledged high-level contact between the predominantly Muslim nation and Israel.

Musharraf had defended his government's talks with Israel, saying contact between the two countries is in accordance with the tenets of Islam. Musharraf said Islam allowed its followers to engage with people of other faiths.

"Islam is a religion of peace and it has lived in peace and harmony with other faiths for centuries and can do so in future as well," an official statement quoted him as saying while speaking to Kasuri.

Musharraf reiterated Pakistan would not recognize Israel until a Palestinian state was established.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was also present in the meeting, said Pakistan would decide about the recognition of Israel "in the supreme national interest after due consultations."

Pakistan had made the decision to hold talks with Israel after the implementation of the 2005 disengagement plan.

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      1.   Musharef - Not a fair mediator... 00:57  |  Yoav 21/04/07
      2.   Musharaff should concentrate 01:25  |  * BEN JABO 21/04/07
      3.   Musharraf 02:39  |  Brod 21/04/07
      4.   BEWARE OF MUSLIM MEDIATORS 03:06  |  * BEN JABO 21/04/07
      5.   #Hey Ben Jabo; I see you are still 03:07  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      6.   If Musharaff says that... 03:08  |  Dutch Dirk 21/04/07
      7.   Maybe He Can Bring Some Atomic Bombs? 03:10  |  Yoram 21/04/07
      8.   Statehood? 03:23  |  Sam 21/04/07
      9.   #5, ballistic 03:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/04/07
      10.   Great cop-out for Musharraf! 03:58  |  McQueen 21/04/07
      11.   RESPONSE to you all 04:26  |  AbuAbbas 21/04/07
      12.   to Abu the monkey from the movie Aladin 05:32  |  Anthony 21/04/07
      13.   Ballistic - you still haven`t learned any manners 05:43  |  * BEN JABO 21/04/07
      14.   Israel needs to read history 05:49  |  The Khybernator 21/04/07
      15.   Abu is right 05:53  |  FinanceDoc 21/04/07
      16.   Only retreat can bring victory to the Arabs. 05:59  |  Akram Zekaria 21/04/07
      17.   #14 Khybernator 06:26  |  * BEN JABO 21/04/07
      18.   this zionist entity never sought peace, never will 06:35  |  arab 21/04/07
      19.   #11 Abu Abbas 06:45  |  Sam Weinstein 21/04/07
      20.   I have no problem with Musharef Trying 06:46  |  Sam WEinstein 21/04/07
      21.   Musharraf`s peace ploy 06:48  |  Jonny 21/04/07
      22.   Musharaf- Courage 07:13  |  DWOLF 21/04/07
      23.   MUSHARRAF = "SHAH IRAN" OF PAKISTAN 07:42  |  indrajaya 21/04/07
      24.   President Musharraf is welcome 08:30  |  Dr D 21/04/07
      25.   Over all 08:33  |  danite 21/04/07
      26.   Musharef volunteers to mediate. 08:36  |  ATLAS 21/04/07
      27.   Indrajaya 08:38  |  Yosemite 21/04/07
      28.   Musharraf without sharaf 08:45  |  observer 21/04/07
      29.   23.. indrajaya... 08:55  |  ravi 21/04/07
      30.   Pak`s Utterly Poor, while Musharraf itches to visit Israel 09:10  |  Hani 21/04/07
      31.   Pupets Talking 09:19  |  isratinian 21/04/07
      32.   Ahlan wa-sahlan! (Welcome!) 10:23  |  Yonatan 21/04/07
      33.   Musharraf: Willing to visit Israel to promote peace 10:29  |  simon 21/04/07
      34.   #9 Hey Cipora; well poor Musharaf 10:40  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      35.   Musharraf Best hope for peace 10:40  |  Pakistani 21/04/07
      36.   Hey Ben Jabo; you address posters 10:42  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      37.   #6 Hey Dutch Dirk; I do believe you have 10:46  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      38.   #14 Khybar Living in the 8th Century 11:14  |  Semsem 21/04/07
      39.   Mushy..the Shah of Pakistan 11:14  |  A.M 21/04/07
      40.   He has courage 11:16  |  Laila 21/04/07
      41.   Al Quaida protected by Pakistanis 11:19  |  Fortunee 21/04/07
      42.   peace comes from strength 12:45  |  Fahad 21/04/07
      43.   A Billy-Goat willing to guard gabbages! 13:04  |  Alicia 21/04/07
      44.   Why dont Musharraf support a Kurdish state 13:10  |  Joel Susser 21/04/07
      45.   Indrajaya 14:12  |  Yung Ming Koo 21/04/07
      46.   HE CAN NOT DO NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 14:15  |  BECAUSE HES NOT ARAB 21/04/07
      47.   Musharraf: Willing to visit Israel to promote peace 15:36  |  David 21/04/07
      48.   Another Thing You Muslims Never Consider 15:49  |  Yosemite 21/04/07
      49.   PAKI LEANRS FROM ARB DESPOT LESSONS 15:49  |  Rajneesh 21/04/07
      50.   MUSHARRAF 15:50  |  YAAKOV 21/04/07
      51.   To # 4 * Ben Jabo 16:17  |  christa 21/04/07
      52.   To Sam Weinstein 16:22  |  christa 21/04/07
      53.   real people 16:39  |  rahamine 21/04/07
      54.   They have nukes 17:06  |  Peter GANZ 21/04/07
      55.   THE SECRET BEHIND THE OFFER 18:09  |  JACKAL 21/04/07
      56.   #1Yoav #4Ben Jabo#23Indrajaya : BEWARE OF BIASED MUSLIM MEDIATORS 18:09  |  Mohamed MALLECK 21/04/07
      57.   to ballestic # 36 actually hesbullah got 1000 lebanese killed 18:34  |  terrornator 21/04/07
      58.   ballestic # 34 "our army is so broken,it could not successfully 18:38  |  terrornator 21/04/07
      59.   Musharraf - YOU ARE WELCOME 18:40  |  Eti 21/04/07
      60.   #56 Hey Terrornator; you really need 19:18  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      61.   #48 Hey Yosemite--Dubya`s plan 19:22  |  ballistic 21/04/07
      62.   was my earlier posting about jewish lobby "anti-semitic" ? 19:22  |  JACKAL 21/04/07
      63.   JACKEL, since you asked.... yes 19:59  |  Michael 21/04/07
      64.   Re 63: MICHAEL, I SHOULD SEND YOU A LIBEL NOTICE 21:04  |  JACKAL 21/04/07
      65.   We live in the 21st century 21:06  |  The Khybernator 21/04/07
      66.   I think he`s genuine. 21:11  |  SystemF 21/04/07
      67.   hes a good man 21:27  |  judah 21/04/07
      68.   Let Pakistan first establish diplomatic relations with Israel 21:37  |  Briton 21/04/07
      69.   # 23 indrajaya 22:01  |  Lynn 21/04/07
      70.   Musharraf 22:06  |  Matthew Houston 21/04/07
      71.   Pakistan 00:02  |  Brod 22/04/07
      72.   #45, YUNG MING KOO 06:21  |  indrajaya 22/04/07
      73.   # 69, LYNN 06:30  |  indrajaya 22/04/07
      74.   #27, YOSY 06:50  |  indrajaya 22/04/07
      75.   Musharrafs Mediation 07:09  |  MOBY 22/04/07
      76.   Let him come 13:07  |  Ken 22/04/07
      77.   #51 christa 18:11  |  * BEN JABO 22/04/07
      78.   Baby`s is crying for attention - Hey, Hey, Hey 00:34  |  * BEN JABO 23/04/07
      79.   A pakistani response 15:53  |  pakistani 26/04/07
      80.   Musharraf 02:46  |  Adnan Raja 20/07/08
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