CAIRO: Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu met with President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm El-Sheikh Monday ahead of upcoming visits by both leaders to the United States later this month.
It is these visits that saw the two leaders talk of their unerring commitment to the peace process, regardless that talks between the Palestinians and Israelis have stalled for quite some time.
Netanyahu is due in the US May 18 with Mubarak expected to go exactly one week later.
“There is no doubt that there is a connection between Netanyahu’s visit and Mubarak’s visit to the US, Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam El-Erian told Daily News Egypt, “The regime wants to show the US administration that it still has a pivotal role to play in the region and wants to justify the American assistance to Egypt.
“Mubarak’s visit to the US comes at an inopportune time because Egypt will be asked to play roles, which is to . prevent weapons going there and to continue the siege on Hamas. But the visit will have no result because Egypt will not be able to enforce American wishes regarding the Palestinian resistance.
Emad Gad from Al-Ahram center for Political and Strategic Studies told Daily News Egypt, “Of course there is a connection, the meeting is important for both of them before going to the US.
“Egypt wanted to show it is still vital to US policy in the region and that it is willing to deal with a right wing government in Israel. Both Israel and Egypt knew there wasn’t going to be a breakthrough during the talks; the visit itself was the message, he added.
In a joint press conference with reporters Monday, Mubarak said talks must resume “on the basis of a clear political horizon that deals with the final solution issues and establishes an independent Palestinian state side by side with Israel in security and peace.
Mubarak also said, “The prime minister expressed his government s commitment to achieving peace, and I told him that Egypt expects positive gestures that reflect this commitment.
Sources close to Netanyahu had said that he had also attempted to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas prior to his US visit, but that Abbas had refused.
Though he stopped short of recognizing a two-state solution the Israeli Prime Minister said, “We want to expand peace. We want to expand it first of all to our neighbors, the Palestinians, Netanyahu said. “We want Israelis and Palestinians to live together with a horizon to peace, security and prosperity . Therefore, we want at the earliest opportunity to renew the peace talks between ourselves and the Palestinians.
El-Erian said of the Israeli Prime Minister’s visit, “It was not a welcome visit except from the government and President Mubarak, the Egyptian people were against it and this visit was a godsend for Netanyahu due to the cold shoulder he has been given from the Arab and Western worlds. There was no positive result for the Palestinians from this visit.
The Israeli Prime Minister also sought to garner some sense of a consensus amongst Arab states allied to the US against the perceived threat of Iran, and by extension Hamas and Hezbollah.
Netanyahu said, “The struggle in the Middle East is not a struggle between peoples or a struggle between religions. It is a struggle between extremists and moderates, a struggle between those who seek life and those who spread violence and death. Today to our regret, we are witness to extremist forces who are threatening the stability of the Middle East.
“We expect, Mr President . your help in the struggle against extremists and terrorists who threaten peace, Netanyahu, who is expected to visit Jordan Friday, told Mubarak.
