Mubarak's visit aims at preventing future Israeli attacks against Lebanon
Egypt-Lebanon, Politics, 2/21/2000

Amidst large-scale Arab satisfaction with President Mubarak's historic visit to Lebanon, official Arab mass media are unanimous that the visit was well-timed reflecting Arab support for Lebanon.

Lebanese citizens have also expressed their satisfaction over the Egyptian solidarity with Lebanon in its current crisis with Israel.

In this context, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid said the visit clearly reflects Egypt's pioneering role in supporting Arab rights.

He said he has received telephone calls from five Lebanese officials in which they expressed their appreciation of the visit. He added the Lebanese politicians said Lebanon felt now more secure, and expressed their appreciation of the stance of the Egyptian leadership and people.

As regards the aid extended by Egypt to Lebanon for eliminating the effects of the Israeli attacks against the Lebanese infrastructure, Ebeid said he would raise before President Mubarak a full dressed report on the executive and financial programs for eliminating effects of the Israeli attacks on power networks.

The report by the Egyptian technical committee which accompanied President Mubarak during his visit to Lebanon underlined the importance of rebuilding a power station in full at aggregate costs of $25-30 million dollar in addition to reformation of two stations at total costs of $12-15 million.

The Prime Minister said the executive reform program would be carried out with a period of 45-60 days.

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa stated that President Mubarak's visit to Lebanon was a message to those whom it may concern.

He said the visit was a reflection of President Mubarak's concern over the latest attacks against Lebanon, adding that the visit aimed to prevent future attacks against Lebanon and to bring the Middle East peace process back to track. Moussa further said Egypt is still in contact with major world powers, mainly the United States, for reactivating the peace process.

Reports from Beirut said President Mubarak's visit was an affirmation of his role in the peace march. Lebanese sources were unanimous that the visit was a clear message to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Egypt was rejecting any attack against Lebanon.

Sfeir: Mubarak's Visit to Lebanon Heals Wounds

Maronite Patriarch Nasrullah Sfeir hailed the lighting visit President Hosni Mubarak paid to Lebanon Saturday terming it as a praiseworthy move by a leader of a major Arab state.

In a sermon Sunday, Sfeir said the visit served as a remedy for wounds. He also referred to Lebanese university students' demonstrations in protest against recent Israeli air strikes on Lebanese infrastructure.

On Wednesday, Sfeir will fly to Cairo to be on hand to receive Pope John Paul II of the Vatican, who is due in Egypt on February 24.

In Jerusalem, news agencies quoted Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy as saying that Israel felt deep concern over President Mubarak's visit to Lebanon. Levy said his government regretted Egypt's support for Hizbullah because he who declares support for such a party, as Levy put it, supports an organization which seeks to undermine the peace process.

At the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting session, Barak said the campaign launched by some Arab countries against Israel would not lead to pushing forward the peace process.

He claimed that bombarding Lebanese infrastructure has triggered much frustration in Hizbullah and other quarters.

Hoss Describes Mubarak's Visit as "Historic"

Terming as "historic" President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanese Premier Selim Al-Hoss said that the visit came in these circumstances particularly to express Egypt's solidarity with Lebanon in its ordeal as a result of the Israeli heinous aggression.

In statements on Monday, he said that the Egyptian leader's visit was to express his categorical rejection of any attack against civilians in Lebanon. "Egypt expressed this stance through recent contacts held with various parties," he added.

"The visit came in the context of contacts held by Egypt to deter any fresh aggressions by Israel against Lebanon," he expounded.

On the steps to be adopted by the Lebanese government at political and diplomatic levels, he said that the aim of the diplomatic drive is of dual purpose. "The first is to prevent Israel from mounting any new aggression against civilian targets while the second is to revive the April Understanding Committee so as to bring things back to normal," he added.

Abdul Meguid: Mubarak's Visit to Lebanon, Very Important

Arab League (AL) Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid yesterday lauded President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Lebanon on Saturday. In statements to NBC satellite channel, Abdul Meguid described the visit as well timed and bearing much significance in itself.

He added that the Arab League is observing the situation in Lebanon and that he phoned US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and conferred with the Italian President and the British ambassador on the latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

"The AL called for pan-Arab solidarity as being the only means to get Israel deterred," said Abdul Meguid.

The Egyptian Shura Council lauded Mubarak's visit to Lebanon describing it as supportive to Lebanon.

The current deadlock in the Middle East peace process is very serious as all tracks are frozen for different reasons, said a statement by a Shura Committee on Arab and Foreign Affairs and National Security.

The statement called on the US to put pressures on Israel to get it eliminate the deadlock. It also called for a pan-Arab stance and support to all Arab parties concerned with the process.

The committee called on all parties, governments, bodies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to act immediately in support of the Middle East peacemaking drive.

Hizbullah: Mubarak's Visit to Lebanon, Greatly Appreciated

President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Lebanon and his support to the resistance are of great importance and give impetus to Lebanon's bid to restore its freedom and rights, said a Hizbullah source in statements to Middle East News Agency (MENA).

The source lauded the Egyptian stance and said that Israel and US were surprised to find out that Lebanon has been widely supported by various Arab and Islamic countries.

Lebanese media highlighted Mubarak's statements on Saturday in which he denounced all forms of violence being adopted by Israel, praising Mubarak's decision to supply Lebanon with Egyptian electric generators and technicians to fix the three power plants destroyed by Israel, said the radio.

"Mubarak's visit proved Egypt's solidarity and support to the Lebanese people and sent a clear message to Israel calling it to reconsider its hostile policy on the grounds that it is no longer acceptable," Lebanese said Minister of Electricity Suleyman Trabulsy in statements to MENA.

"The visit of Mubarak is a clear message that Egypt will not tolerate any Israeli attack on Lebanon," said Lebanese politicians in statements to the Kuwaiti news agency.

Former Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Hussein Al-Husseni said, in statements to MENA, that Mubarak's move aims at promoting pan-Arab consolidation.

He voiced hope that the visit would create a pan-Arab support to Lebanon.

Nasserite Party Lauds Mubarak Visit to Lebanon

The Nasserite Party expressed its appreciation for the surprise visit paid by President Hosni Mubarak to Lebanon on Saturday.

The visit confirmed the intimate Arab relations as well as the pioneering role Egypt plays in the Arab world, it said in a statement on Sunday.

The party condemned the recent Israeli aggressions on Lebanese civilian and infrastructure targets.

The statement urged Arab leaders to seek to enhance Arab solidarity and to reunite Arab ranks in order to achieve inter-Arab integration in the domain of national security, economy and culture. The party expressed support of Lebanon in its demand for unconditional Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon.

The statement also called for holding an immediate Arab summit to lay down a strategy aiming at putting an end to Israel's arrogance.

A large number of people burned the Israeli flag and chanted anti-Israel slogans in protest against Israel's Nazi aggression against the Arab people.

NDP Youth Secretariat Asserts Need to Stand Up to Israel's Provocation

A statement issued Sunday by the Youth Secretariat of the National Democratic Party (NDP) described President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Lebanon on Saturday as a boost to Arab solidarity, emphasizing Egypt's pivotal and pioneering role in the region.

Following a meeting Sunday, the secretariat urged the international community to stand up to Israeli provocation in south Lebanon.

The Secretariat also discussed the importance of adopting deterrent sanctions against Israel in line with the seventh article of the Charter of the United Nations, as was the case after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Meantime, Al-Sharq Radio, which airs its transmission from the Lebanese capital, said in its political commentary Sunday that President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Lebanon on Saturday caught interest of Arab and Lebanese political and popular circles.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt cannot accept Israeli raids on Lebanon   (2/19/2000)
  Egyptian expertees for reforming the electric stations in Lebanon   (2/18/2000)
  Egyptian - Lebanese coordination   (2/15/2000)

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