Egypt threatens Lieberman boycott over past remarks

Egypt is threatening to boycott Foreign Minister-designate Avigdor Lieberman unless he issues an official apology for past remarks, including telling Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to "go to hell."

Channel 2 reported yesterday that veteran diplomat Danny Ayalon is discussing the issue with Egypt.

Ayalon, who is expected to be deputy foreign minister, confirmed yesterday that both he and Lieberman had been speaking with Egyptian officials, but he denied that the issue of an apology had been on the agenda.

"What's important is what they say publicly, and that they deny they are planning on boycotting the ceremony," Ayalon said, referring to the ceremony to mark 30 years of Egypt-Israel relations. "It shows they are interested in proper ties with Lieberman. Egypt wants good relations with Avigdor Lieberman and that's how it will be."

On Thursday, Egyptian ambassador to Israel Yasser Rida threatened to boycott the anniversary ceremony to protest Lieberman's pending appointment. However, Rida is now expected to attend the ceremony, which will be held before Netanyahu's government is sworn in and Lieberman assumes office.

Rida said yesterday that Egypt did not get involved in Israeli internal politics, and denied reports he had met with Netanyahu after the elections. "I regret how Israeli politics have used Egypt's name and the ambassador to Israel," Rida said. "The ambassador cannot deny such claims on a daily basis. Egypt is a country with clear and stable policies, and we do not intervene in the internal matters of others."

Since starting coalition talks, Netanyahu is said to have implored Egypt to establish cordial ties with Lieberman despite his past remarks. Netanyahu told Egyptian officials that Lieberman's party's election success reflects the Israeli public's disappointment with ties between the nations, and cited Mubarak's refusal to visit Israel as one such cause.

Last September Lieberman caused an international uproar when he criticized Mubarak's reluctance to visit Israel from the Knesset podium, and said that if he did not want to visit Israel he could "go to hell."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres personally apologized to Mubarak.

Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, but relations have often been frosty since.

Mubarak has been Israel only once - for the funeral of assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 - but he has never come to Jerusalem on an official diplomatic visit.