Egypt negotiator to visit Israel, may avoid meeting Lieberman

Egypt's chief negotiator is expected to visit Israel on Wednesday for talks with senior officials, but has thus far made no plans to meet with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Omer Suleiman is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai and over the course of his visit. He had also planned to meet with Israel's special envoy on prisoner affairs, Ofer Dekel, who announced his resignation late Tuesday.

Neither the foreign ministry nor officials in Cairo would confirm whether Lieberman and Suleiman were to meet. An Israeli official said, however, that two were planning low-profile talks.

Lieberman sparked outrage in Egypt last year when he criticized its president, Hosni Mubarak, in a speech before the Knesset, saying that the Egyptian leader could "go to hell."

His remarks were made in reference to Mubarak's refusal to make an official state visit to Israel. The Egyptian leader's sole trip to his country's neighbor to the east was for the 1995 funeral of slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said earlier this month that Lieberman would not welcome in Egypt.

"His feet will not step on Egyptian soil as long as he maintains his positions," Aboul Gheit told Russia Today TV.

Since Lieberman took office, Egypt has threatened to boycott the foreign minister and Aboul Gheit has said he would even not shake the hand of his counterpart.

Nevertheless, the Egyptian foreign minister said his country would still work directly with the Israeli government, only not via its foreign ministry.