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Egyptian FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit addressing UN General Assembly in September (Reuters) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 10:34 29/11/2007 Egypt's FM to Haaretz: If Israel moves ahead, so will Arab states By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel, Gaza  CAIRO - If Israel moves forward with peace negotiations following the Annapolis summit, Arab states will respond with positive steps, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in an interview he gave in his Cairo office on the 30th anniversary of Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem. "Egypt is saying clearly every step on the part of Israel will be met with a step. We will not ask you to first make full peace with the Palestinians before we move toward you," Aboul Gheit said. The Egyptian foreign minister stressed his country's commitment to the peace accord, but also warned that if Israel continues to blame Egypt for the smuggling from Sinai to the Gaza Strip, and complain about it to Washington, relations will deteriorate. Advertisement Aboul Gheit used the example of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who visited Arab states that had no diplomatic relations with Israel, as ways that progress could be achieved. "I am sure that if Israel progresses in the peace process, the Arab states will move toward it, each one in its own way. But when an Arab country sees that there is development on the part of Morocco, on the part of Bahrain, it will also move in that direction, no doubt." Regarding the summit at Annapolis and the participation of Saudi Arabia, Aboul Gheit said that he would comment on that only after the meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers, which began Thursday in Cairo. He said he did "not know" whether Syria would participate in the summit, but his comments suggested that he believed that Arab states should take part. "Every country will decide whether it will participate on the basis of the national responsibility it feels and the need to assist the Palestinians." Commenting on Sadat's historic visit, Aboul Gheit said that the Egyptian president could come to Israel because he was perceived as one who managed to strike at Israel. "Only after we saw your boots thrown on the sand," he said, referring to the reversal in the 1973 war to the Egyptian military boots strewn in the Sinai desert as soldiers fled the Israeli onslaught during the Six-Day War in June, 1967. Aboul Gheit rejects Israel's description of relations with Egypt as a "cold Peace." "I do not use expressions of cold peace and warm peace. Peace is peace. There is no aggression, there is no desire for fighting, there is no going back to war and confrontation," he said pointing to trade and tourism relations. The foreign minister was angered when he was asked why Egypt did not officially commemorate Sadat's visit. He said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not over yet. "Why commemorate the peace? Do the Americans and the Japanese commemorate the peace between them? If you want to celebrate 30 years of Israeli-Egyptian peace, that is your affair. We commemorate it in our style and our way." Warning Israel not to blame Egypt for smuggling from Sinai into the Strip, and complaining to the U.S. (which has frozen some of its military aid to Cairo), Aboul Gheit said Israel "tried to stir up trouble between Egypt and the U.S. - but you failed." Commenting on the Egyptian request to double the number of border guards along the border with the Strip, a proposal Israel rejected, Aboul Gheit called on Jerusalem to reconsider. "You have nothing to worry about," he said referring to Israeli concerns that Cairo is trying to undermine the peace agreements. "Four thousand Egyptian soldiers are not a threat to an army of 400,000. Try us. Or perhaps you want the problem to go on? Bookmark to del.icio.us Christmas blues Gazan Christians keep low profile during Christmas after activist slain. Absent voice An Israeli think tank says Israeli Arabs should take part in negotiations with PA.   1.   Raka puckar! 04:12  |  Lisen 23/11/07   2.   It`s about time the Arab states.... 04:43  |  R 23/11/07   3.   Egyptian arrogance 05:35  |  Figaro 23/11/07   4.   Israel given away the Sinai peninsula for nothing 05:41  |  e.m 23/11/07   5.   Read Stern`s other article today to see what a liar Gheit is 06:01  |  McQueen 23/11/07   6.   Egyptian FM: If Israel moves ahead with peace, so will Arabs 06:04  |  iletzter 23/11/07   7.   "You do not have to worry, I will guard you" said fox to chicken 06:07  |  Robert 23/11/07   8.   # 1 to figaro 06:23  |  eric 23/11/07   9.   if Israel continues to blame Egypt for the smuggling from Sinai 06:31  |  Lemmings Hotline 23/11/07   10.   Israel will give out more in peace once Iran becomes nuclear 06:39  |  Aounist 23/11/07   11.   Typical Arab greasiness on "Peace". Their treaties are worthless. 06:53  |  Dr. L. Brnd 23/11/07   12.   DON`T BLAME EGYPT FOR ARMS SMUGGLE,RETAKE SINAI AND SALAAM-SHALOM 07:16  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 23/11/07   13.   Egyptian FM 07:24  |  No Name 23/11/07   14.   Why not if ARABS show readiness to give ujp on TERROR..... 07:44  |  Dagma 23/11/07   15.   Re:Aounist.Keep dreaming Iran will never have nuclear weapon 08:18  |  e.m 23/11/07   16.   well war mongers, try to find another earth to live on 08:27  |  David 23/11/07   17.   joke of the month from egypt a peace treaty of waste paper 08:29  |  victor hardman 23/11/07   18.   SO WE SHOULD IGNORE THE FACT THAT EGYPT TURNS A BLIND EYE TO..... 08:56  |  THE LIBRARIAN 23/11/07   19.   Mr. Egyptian FM,you received everything you wanted,where is Peace 09:04  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/11/07   20.   McQueen, two weeks ago Haaretz had a much better Stern article 09:09  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/11/07   21.   THE "PEACE" OF PAPER SIGNED WITH EGYPT=TOILET PAPER 10:36  |  WARRIOR 23/11/07   22.   Preconditions for peace set by the losers 10:38  |  Teacher 23/11/07   23.   NORMALIZATION IN A ASYLUM MIGHT DEMAND TOO HIGHER PRICE 11:02  |  B.Heddem 23/11/07   24.   It`s always about what Israel should do 11:11  |  Judith, Haifa 23/11/07   25.   The Egyptian FM is qite correct. 11:23  |  Ivar 23/11/07   26.   You idiots the same logic that applies to the territory conquered 11:59  |  lakshmi 23/11/07   27.   Egyptians and Arab League are a model of conciliation 12:25  |  Ivar 23/11/07   28.   Sorry, Israelis are not THAT stupid. Israel, prepare for war, NOW 12:27  |  Pavel 23/11/07   29.   #26 13:18  |  Moshe 23/11/07   30.   GHEIT says it all in a nutshell, and oh so true 13:39  |  VIPER 23/11/07   31.   #7, ROBERT, have you a logical cell in your brain? 13:42  |  VIPER 23/11/07   32.   OPEN The Sinai...Mubarak... 14:19  |  Ali 23/11/07   33.   To e.m. post 15: We were able to kick both Israel and Syria out 16:15  |  Aounist 23/11/07   34.   Israel did, Egypt didnt, still violating peace agreement 19:32  |  David 23/11/07   35.   Aounist #33 - what about Hezballah? 19:43  |  Moises 23/11/07   36.   VIPER #31 - because Egypt is the least of the problems 19:52  |  Moises 23/11/07   37.   #33 20:56  |  Moshe 23/11/07   38.   To #33 Moshe 22:26  |  Aounist 23/11/07   39.   I`d sooner trust a rattle snake than trust an Arab 23:40  |  Grafted Wild Olive 23/11/07   40.   # 25 You have a point but you got the wrong 23:51  |  Grafted Wild Olive 23/11/07   41.   #36, MOISES, it`s just not arabs 09:13  |  VIPER 24/11/07   42.   Enough, already 07:25  |  Denise 25/11/07   43.   egyptian liars 14:48  |  Torri 24/12/07

Today Online PM to Shalit family: Still no breakthrough on Gilad's release Responses: 57 Gideon Levy: Don't be fooled by impression of quiet in West Bank Responses: 48 Akiva Eldar: Why can't Israel's left make peace demands? Responses: 30 Shimon Peres online: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of an int'l vote of courage Responses: 28 Rosner's Domain Ron Paul insists: 'Israel encourages Americans to go into Iran' Support Israel, or support Jerusalem? (WTR) Poll: A cease-fire with Hamas, good or bad? Romney to Evangelicals, like Messianic Jews to Jews (WTR) More Headlines 14:49 New round of Israel-PA talks likely to focus on E. J'lem building plans 13:57 Olmert to Shalit family: Still no breakthrough on Gilad's release 14:09 Palestinians: IDF troops kill two Hamas militants in Gaza air strike 12:59 Damascus: Bush trying to push Lebanon into Iraq-like crisis 09:42 Orthodox rabbi to oversee Reform conference in Jerusalem 12:12 Influx of African refugees puts strain on Tel Aviv's shelters 12:09 Knesset panels vote to extend mandatory schooling to grade 12 12:58 Iranian MP: Tehran to seek int'l bids for 19 atomic power plants 13:32 IEC to pay NIS 170,000 to parents of boy killed on electric pole Previous Editions Select Day 23 dec 21 dec 20 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 14 dec 13 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec

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