Mubarak's ailing health and postponed meetings have Israeli officials worried
Last week, Haaretz reported that Mubarak has cancer. In March, the Egyptian president went to Germany for an operation that his office and the hospital described as 'complicated,' though neither offered further details.
By Avi Issacharoff and Barak RavidIsraeli officials are increasingly worried about the state of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's health, in light of the repeated postponements of Mubarak's planned meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which was supposed to take place this week.
Last week, Haaretz reported that Mubarak has cancer. In March, the Egyptian president went to Germany for an operation that both his office and the hospital described as "complicated," though neither offered further details.
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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in July 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
The two leaders were originally supposed to meet on Tuesday. Earlier this week, however, Netanyahu's office announced that Egypt had requested a one-day postponement due to "scheduling considerations." On Tuesday, Egypt requested another postponement, with the meeting now slated to take place Sunday.
Senior Israeli officials involved in arranging the meeting said the reason behind the multiple postponements is not clear. The Arab media have reported that Mubarak's deteriorating health is forcing him to go abroad for urgent treatment: The Lebanese paper As-Safir, for instance, said on Tuesday that Mubarak will be undergoing treatment in Germany Tuesday and Wednesday. But it is equally possible that the delays stem from policy considerations, the officials said.
"Apparently, Mubarak wants to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] before he meets with Netanyahu," surmised one official. Mubarak was originally slated to meet Abbas Thursday, but that meeting, too, was postponed on Tuesday.
Palestinian sources agreed that the delay likely stemmed from policy considerations, but offered a different take on what those considerations were. They noted that U.S. envoy George Mitchell is set to meet with Netanyahu on Friday and with Abbas on Saturday, and said the American would arrive with ideas on how to move from indirect talks to direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Mubarak, they said, wants to wait and see the outcome of these meetings, since if Abbas does not immediately agree to direct talks, the Egyptian leader is likely to be asked for help in securing his consent.
On Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Egypt sees no point in direct negotiations unless significant progress is first made in the indirect talks. But Abbas, who had previously echoed this view, sounded slightly more flexible on Tuesday. At a press conference in Romania, he said the Palestinians would agree to direct talks if Netanyahu's government showed "positive signs" of readiness to progress.
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Syria was allways a vassal atate, Ataman turks, French and British, USSR, Iran and to a lesser degree post soviet Russia. They would like to get Golan back and additionly to get on USA payroll, however at this time it is not possible.
re. paragraph 2 "neither offered further details", Google it and on the hospital website you get: The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has left Heidelberg University Hospital on Saturday 27th of March 2010 and has returned to Egypt. “The President has fully recovered from the effects of the successful surgical intervention conducted on him exactly three weeks ago”, said Professor Dr. Markus Buechler, Director of the Surgical Department at Heidelberg University Hospital in today`s press statement for the Egypt State Television. However, he recommends the president to continue his convalescence for two weeks, before he gradually returns to his full and normal activity. On the 6th of March 2010 the President had his gall bladder and a duodenal polyp removed in the Heidelberg University Hospital. At his farewell the President, who was accompanied by his wife and his two sons, thanked Professor Buechler and the entire medical team for the excellent medical care he received during the past three weeks.
When Mubarak dies it is very likely that there will be major social upheavel in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood coming to the fore. The situation in the Gaza strip may be used by the current Egyptian elite to pacify the Arab street in Israel. Ripping up the peace treaty and joining the Arab peace process is a distinct possibility, particularly as the Israeli lobby in the US succeeded in stopping the money the US pays Egypt not to attack Israel. I suspect this will quickly be re-established under the guise the Gaza blockade is ended. A changed situation on Israel's Southern border, in particular Egyptian security forces allowing people to cross it has got to be at the top of Israel's list of worst nightmares.
Now, if Jah will but take old man Abbas off the stage, then a new power alignment will be set in motion, one that will redefine the Middle East for years to come.
I hope the King of Jordan, the House of Saud, Netanyahu, Lieberman, Khamenei, and Ahmadinejad are next! And Hillary Clinton but only cause of that butch laugh UGH
This despicable killers time is coming to an end. Hooray! I wonder If the Egyptians will allow his son to take over or will they revolt? It’s a very explosive powder keg over there could be very dangerous. The Moslem brotherhood must be waiting in anticipation for his death. Most U.S aligned regimes in the M/E are controlled by ruthless dictators. It surprises me because most are very anti Israeli and anti American. I suppose for Israel better the devil you know. Alas the US tolerates this If these dictators have oil or strategic importance.
Even though he is practically on his death bed now, Mubarak, does not relinquish power in a democratic way and repent ... but instead holds on to power to the bitter end. May be the oath he made when he was undemocratically elected was "till death do us part" .... Farewell dictator, your friends the Zionists will surely miss you.
The dragon was never in better spirits than the day it was slay, with the demise of the traitor General Mubarak, bloody tyrant for thirty years on behalf of the international Jewry, the encirclement and isolation of Israel will be completed. Israeli officials need to be worried.
meaning no peace until there's peace
Until Mubarak took over coincidently, Egypt was the leader in the region and the Egyptians were far better off than now. Mubarak regime and its corrupt figures have not only sold out Egypt, but also the neighboring brothers in Gaza and Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis in general. This has affected the entire piece in the region. I believe it is time for change so the entire picture of this part of the world gets better..
i cannot claim to be an expert on arab leadership but really! You make it sound like Mubarak was the rotten apple amongst angelic Arab leaders. Did Saddam not let his ppl down? Did Lebanon not sell-out by re-inviting Syrian(iranian) intervention after Syria killed Harriri's own father? What do you make of the "hand me down from papa" leadership we have in Syria? And last but not least, bc you are from Gaza; what do you make of Arafat's widow in Paris and the legendary millions? Or Hamas leadership who consistently put their political calculations before, what they themselves describe, as a major humanitarian problem. Mubarak may not be a left-wing humanist, but he is as good as it gets for Arab leadership these days
However wistful you may be for Mr. Mubarak's return, forget it. He is gone, kaput, endlich! So get over it ... and prepare to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egyptians will be happy to be rid of the corrupt dictator Mubarak. The only ones who will be sad are Israelis as Mubarak was their puppet.
Egyptians would be extremely sad and devastated if this example of a leader were to be further sick.
You must live in Lala Land for believing that the Egyptians will be sad and devastated in regard of his deteriorated health condition. Let me tell you this about the Egyptian people, they hate him and they prey for the day he will be gone nothing less.
the egyptians will be relived to see off mubarak the american stooge. with hopefully a more upstanding dispensation in place in egypt the pals can look foward to more support. israel must be worried with good reason.... the egyptian street does not look at israel the same way mubarak did. reap as you sow
Mubarak will die. His son will take over and palestinians and egyptions will suffer as they always have. It is sad that a true man of conscience is lacking in that part of the world.
and soon after that the king of Jordan will be deposed.
Your prophesy would be the best outcome we could hope for.
Mubarak will eventually will be gone, and there nothing anybody can do about it! The real question is, what Egypt will look like after his death. It looks like Egypt will be following the model of Syria with a unique Arab invention ( Hereditary Republic). I am sure that sponsoring state ( USA ) had prepared for this eventuality, unless of cause Egypt will decide to get off the " Payroll" In that case all bets are off!
cant compare syria with egypt. egypt under the stooge mubarak is a puppet state... syria was never a puppet state and assad was no puppet. the egyptian people support the pals... this will now show
My sense is that the Egyptians are fed up with Mubarak's tyranny. The whole system is rigged to favor his son succeeding him. But all bets are off when he finally goes. This uncertainty is what has Israel worried.
from coming into the country just like any other Arab state.
Syrian regime will not survive for a long, remember what had hepened to USSR, if the soviet regime have collapsed, what chance the primitive Syrian political system has? The regime can't develope economically and will be obsolite. Remember who controles the money controles the world.