Egypt urges EU to bolster U.S.-led Mideast peace bid
Mubarak and Sarkozy meet ahead of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, say the Mediterranean Union summit can provide push for peace.
By News Agencies Tags: Israel news Middle East peace Hosni Mubarak Nicolas SarkozyEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak urged Europe on Monday to throw its weight behind U.S.-led efforts to secure a peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis.
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, shakes hands with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after their meeting in Paris, on Aug. 30, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
Mubarak, whose country in 1979 became the first Arab state to strike a peace deal with Israel, discussed the matter with French President Nicolas Sarkozy before heading to Washington this week for the first direct negotiations in 20 months.
"The American administration needs strong backing from the European Union for the peace process to continue," Mubarak said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are due to meet President Barack Obama on Sept. 1, according to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and launch direct negotiations the following day.
Sarkozy said Europe planned to further promote the push for peace at a Euro-Mediterranean summit planned for Nov. 20 in Barcelona, Spain, where key leaders from the Middle East would be present.
"We have proposed, with President Mubarak, that a Mediterranean Union summit could take place in mid-November, at which all the parties necessary for obtaining peace in the Mideast would participate," Sarkozy said following a meeting with Mubarak.
For his part, the Egyptian president said such a summit would "reinforce the relaunch" of the peace process and help U.S. negotiators tackle complex issues such as the highly controversial construction of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.
France and Egypt co-chair the Mediterranean Union, which was founded in 2008, but has not held a single summit since then because of the frozen Mideast peace process.
"After months of stalemate, a hope exists. This chance must be seized," Sarkozy said. "I believe the U.S. role is very important but cannot be the only one."
Mubarak expressed concerns that Israeli building of further settlements would not help the peace process.
"We agreed that a peace deal should be reached within one year to end occupation and establish the Palestinian state," the 82-year-old president said.
"There is a hesitation among Israelis to stop settlements and that needs more effort and European support."
After their hour-long meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Sarkozy expressed a similar view.
"Firstly, every person in Israel should understand one thing. When there is hope for peace, everything should be done to bolster that," he said.
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It is remarkable that Syria does not let a day go by without more and more incitement towards Israel and the EU, Obama and the pro peace arabs choose to ignore it as if it will go away. So we get nice photo opps about having the EU and its anti semite envoy Ashton to help screw up what little chance there is for peace. When will these players get it .. Israel will do nothing to advance peace until they believe that the EU and America will defend its right to exist and tell Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the rest of the haters that they will militarily defend Israel. In fact, let Israel join NATO to prove the point. Maybe then the axis of hate will realize the price they will pay for any military action. But instead the EU and US want to send ambassadors to Syria, missiles to Lebanon and beg the Iranians to engage …. They are engaged, in preparing to destroy Israel and they are letting everyone know that participation in the peace process will make them a target as well … you know if the axis of hate had any brains they would stop and let the EU and America do their dirty work … they are fully capable of screwing up the negotiations all on their own with worthless stunts like picture taking.
Now lets see who's ready to make peace.
You're trading a freeze on internationally-recognized ILLEGAL settlements for Abbas renouncing a collective right to return to one's home and land? I simply can't fathom how Israelis reconcile the right of return for living Diaspora Jews who never lived in the Levant while trying vehemently to deny the Palestinians rights to lands that were theirs within their lifetimes. Amazing. Just amazing.
He changes with the weather. He will not stand for anything .He is typical French and will continue to go with the flow. He can't stand on his own two feet He started his presidency with strong language at the knessett swearing his support to Israel and defending them in the event Iran attempted a strike against Israel.. But since his early days in office,he is hiding from responsibility and socializing with the elite of Europe and has become Obamas' valet. He is a disgrace and typically french. They have no backbone and when the going gets tough they run like the wind not to be found. He's a useless entity and Israel shouldn't spend one second taking to him about the weather,much less matters of state. I guess you know how I feel about the man.
There is no way to bolster these talks if involuntary US taxpayer donations to the notorious charity continue. The rogue must be firmly put in its place, such that it is forced to be a sensible little existence.
A very simple action to do, but no, they expect the whole world to bolster peace, not Egypt!