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Palestinians flooding into Egypt after border wall was torn down by Hamas men last month (AP)
Last update - 00:00 11/02/2008
U.S. pushes Israel to accept proposed Egypt border deal
By Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, U.S., Gaza, Egypt

The U.S. administration is urging Israel to engage Egypt in immediate dialogue in order to find a joint solution to the problem of the breached Gaza-Egypt border. The U.S. wants Israel to show some flexibility on Egypt's demand to add 750 soldiers to its border force, as well as to agree to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's proposal to take over responsibility for the Israel-Gaza Strip border.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch visited Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority last week and held talks on the situation in the Gaza Strip. In Israel he met with Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turjeman, advisers to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as well as defense and foreign ministry officials. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit the region herself shortly.

Welch briefed Israeli officials on his meetings with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Welch said that the breaching of the wall by Hamas has led to a significant change in Egypt's attitude toward the situation in the Gaza Strip in general and the border in particular.
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He told his Israeli counterparts that the Egyptians are now more ready than ever to cooperate in order to change the situation at the border as well as combat smuggling there. Welch said the Egyptians' recent anti-Hamas statements show that they now feel that the problem has become theirs, too.

Welch said that Israel should talk to Egypt about Cairo's desire to double its border force, which he said would serve both Israeli and Egyptian interests.

According to Welch, the new situation at the border has created an opportunity to find a more comprehensive solution to smuggling and other issues related to the Rafah border crossing. He called for the urgent convention of a four-way security summit attended by Israel, Egypt, the PA and the U.S. to end the crisis.

Welch told Israeli officials about progress on the extension of U.S. aid to Egypt to fight smuggling at the border. He said the U.S. and Egypt agreed on the introduction of various technological measures to locate smuggling tunnels, which will be provided to Egypt in the near future.

Another issue discussed during the talks was the operation of the border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The U.S. supports Fayyad's proposal to assume responsibility for the Karni and Sufa crossings. Welch told his Israeli interlocutors that he believed that Israel must reach an understanding with Fayyad on the issue.

The head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia, said that Rice will return to the region shortly in an effort to restart the talks between Israel and the PA in the West Bank. Qureia said that the negotiations had not begun in earnest between the parties, which have only presented their positions.

Fayyad is scheduled to meet in Washington with Rice as part of a visit to the U.S. aimed at expediting the transfer of U.S. aid to the PA.

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      1.   NO Border Force modifications 04:57  |  David Schorie 11/02/08
      2.   Who cares how many if they won`t confront Palestinians 05:02  |  McQueen 11/02/08
      3.   secretary rice 05:47  |  george 11/02/08
      4.   No way in hell 06:01  |  Gili 11/02/08
      5.   Egyptian Troops at the Israeli border 06:04  |  jerry 11/02/08
      6.   They Want More Hands To Smuggle More Weapons (WTO Arab Style) 06:07  |  Joseph . E 11/02/08
      7.   mindless 06:46  |  ron 11/02/08
      8.   STUDID 07:30  |  Joseph 11/02/08
      9.   Twice the force twice the smuggling 07:37  |  Ilan 11/02/08
      10.   Meddling again!!! 07:54  |  Yossi 11/02/08
      11.   the more E troops on gaza border, the more US $$ can Egypt demand 08:18  |  Pavel 11/02/08
      12.   CONDI stay out of this one!!!!!!!!!! 08:32  |  Jason 11/02/08
      13.   Egypt should not be trusted. 09:06  |  Malka Ziv 11/02/08
      14.   Israel, build your wall along the Sinai or take it back 09:13  |  susanna/shoshanna 11/02/08
      15.   U.S. not Israel makes this decision 09:35  |  AF 11/02/08
      16.   CONDI - THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST 09:57  |  SCREW THE STATE DEPT 11/02/08
      17.   Are you mad, Susanna? # 14 10:13  |  Clickfool 11/02/08
      18.   and what do you think OLDMERT is going to do??/ 10:52  |  ssptz 11/02/08
      19.   US refused to honor its commitments in 1967 which led to 6-Day wa 10:56  |  Absolute Sweden 11/02/08
      20.   well you are right and wrong 11:54  |  mustafa 11/02/08
      21.   "Israel must reach an understanding" 12:48  |  whoopsie 11/02/08
      22.   #10 13:12  |  Harald 11/02/08
      23.   Egyptian are busy now 13:36  |  Ahmose The Egyptian 11/02/08
      24.   Israel Will Do what it is told as US is its only friend 13:38  |  Mr. Knowtiall 11/02/08
      25.   Egyptian Border Police 13:47  |  Once a Tourist 11/02/08
      26.   IT WOULD BE TOO LATE 14:28  |  indrajaya 11/02/08
      27.   IF SO ISRAEL SHOULD RIP UP THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS AND RETAKE 14:37  |  THE END IS NEAR 11/02/08
      28.   Reality check 16:07  |  Murray 11/02/08
      29.   Selling out 16:38  |  Egyptian 11/02/08
      30.   #24 the man from frostbite and blindness to usa activities 16:50  |  v hardman 11/02/08
      31.   A deal with Egypt? That`s crazy 17:14  |  Bob 11/02/08
      32.   A deal with Egypt? That`s crazy 17:19  |  Bob 11/02/08
      33.   To Egyptian #29 17:30  |  Ahmose The Egyptian 11/02/08
      34.   To Ahmose #33 17:51  |  Egyptian 11/02/08
      35.   with friends like that who needs enemies 19:47  |  Mike Ronesia 11/02/08
      36.   Egyptian State-Controlled paper PRAISED TEL AVIV BOMBING 00:02  |  Linda Rivera 12/02/08
      37.   Egypt Preparing for WAR Against ISRAEL 00:03  |  Linda Rivera 12/02/08
      38.   What a place to live Israel RIGHT ??? 03:51  |  m. S. 13/02/08
      39.   Egypt should not be trusted. 10:01  |  Egyptian 12/01/09
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