Moussa and Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon
Egypt, Politics, 3/13/2000

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa has considered Israel's recent decision to withdraw from south Lebanon, with or without an agreement with Beirut or Damascus, as not intended to separate the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in the peace process. Moussa added that the tripartite Sharm El-Sheikh agreement (between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak) aimed at reviving the Syrian track in the negotiations with Israel.

In a statement to the Lebanese daily al-Safir issued on Sunday, Moussa added that the motive behind the Israeli reason for withdrawal from south Lebanon was the Israeli losses resulting from resisting the aggressions.

He added, "I know there are other views which say there is an Israeli playing on the two tracks and pressuring Syria. But I see this Israeli decision as a reaction to the Lebanese resistance which inflicts continued losses in the Israelis."

On Saturday Moussa considered the adoption of the Israeli government of the decision already taken by its premier, Ehud Barak, to withdraw from south Lebanon as a correct decision, in contradiction to Syria, which considered this decision as an Israeli trap and against the position of the Lebanese side which has fears that this withdrawal aims at undermining the cohesion between the two states' peace tracks.

Moussa, on the other hand, considered the tripartite summit held last week in Sharm El-Sheikh between Barak, Arafat and Mubarak as for "local consumption" in Israel in preparation for resuming negotiations on the Syrian track.

Moussa added, "Barak had just to revive the Palestinian track or at least pretend of not facing a grave problem with the Palestinians. It is an internal matter for the Israelis in order to move again towards the Syrian track. And this is what will happen."

Moussa expected that Egypt will witness in the coming days and weeks intensive Syrian- Egyptian contacts before the visit of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to the US at the end of this month.

The Egyptian foreign minister said there is a test for the two coming months to know whether Barak will this time proceed forward seriously, otherwise all tracks and the whole region will be in a state of stalemate.

Previous Stories:
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  The Arab Summit will ensure Arab safety   (3/6/2000)
  Moussa denies Egypt received US warning concerning supporting Hizbullah   (3/6/2000)

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