CAIRO: The proposed visit by the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers to Israel has been postponed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for “private reasons according to a statement by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Speaking to reporters in the US on Monday, Aboul Gheit said, “This visit will be postponed for some time for Israeli reasons, at the behest of PM Olmert.
Aboul Gheit and his Jordanian counterpart Abdel Illah Al-Khatib were due to visit Israel on Thursday at the request of the Arab League to try and bolster an Arab peace initiative.
However, Aboul Gheit said that Olmert had requested a postponement for “private reasons. But we hope that we can make it during July. We are considering the next timing.
Former Ambassador to Israel Mohammed Bassiouny told The Daily Star Egypt he believed that there is no ulterior motive for the delay and that Israel was eagerly anticipating the Arab delegation’s visit.
“Israel actually rushed the delegation’s visit, so the delay must be for technical reasons. They are very happy with the visit, he said.
Bassiouny added that the visit was only for the purpose of elaborating on the Arab peace initiative first proposed in 2002 and ratified again in 2007.
He said, “This is an Arab peace initiative, which is sending delegations to Israel and the Quartet to explain the nature of the plan, and not to conduct any further discussions on other topics.
As Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries who maintain ties with Israel, they were requested to make the visit. The visit was due to precede a meeting of the Middle East Peace Quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) which should take place next week.
The Arab peace initiative was made when circumstances on the ground in the Palestinian territories were different. Now, clashes between the two ruling Palestinian factions have led to Fatah and President Mahmoud Abbas presiding over the West Bank while Hamas control the Gaza Strip, after wresting it from Fatah control.
“The inter-Palestinian issue will not be solved without dialogue, but this won’t happen until things settle and the situation on the ground returns to what it was, Bassiouny said, alluding to the fact that Hamas would have to release its hold over the security apparatus in the Gaza Strip.
He added that, “[Egypt] will continue its efforts to solve the Palestinian crisis, because without solving it there will be no peace or stability in our region.
