Resumption of settlements confirms incredibility in Israel's policies
Egypt-USA, Politics, 4/7/2001

The US Administration announced it has launched an intensive move aiming at halting violence and resuming peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of ideas and proposals submitted by President Mubarak during his latest visit to the United States.

Meantime, Egypt condemned resumption by the Israeli government of settlement activity. Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that resumption of settlement activity confirms incredibility of any Israeli stance which makes halting violence conditional on resuming negotiations.

Edward Walker, the Assistant Secretary of States said that President Bush welcomes ideas and proposals submitted by President Mubarak for re-launching the peace process and halting violence. President Mubarak had called on the Israelis and Palestinians to take mutual and collateral steps for resuming significant negotiations.

During his meeting with Arab Ambassadors in Washington, Walker briefed them on the results of President Mubarak's visit to the US capital saying President Bush would not be away from the new US move adding that he is closely following up developments with deep interest.

He added that the US President rejects Israeli settlement expansion and that he was not only seeking to stop violence but also to have the peace process resumed between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

He said that the United States would remain closely involved in the peace process, indicating that President Mubarak's visit was extremely positive and important for the US move which has immediately started for containing volatile situation in the region and re-launching negotiations between the two sides with US involvement.

Ambassador Walker said that talks held by President Mubarak were successful and dealt with various topics. "As for the situation in the Middle East," Ambassador Walker said, President Mubarak submitted proposals which were welcomed by the United States for encouraging re-launching peace process.

As for Iraq, he noted that the US Administration would declare the in near future its proposals for mitigating sanctions adding that US move in this regard would be coordinated with states of the region and the United Nations.

Walker said that the US Administration denounces Israeli settlement activity adding that Washington has quickly moves to contain this dangerous deterioration which undermines any efforts and threatens to trigger the situation.

He said that the US Administration has moved in two directions: First: declaring its public rejection of the decision taken by Sharon government to expand settlement and the second: is the direct contact between Secretary of State Colin Powell and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The US Administration warned that accelerated building of settlement is a unilateral action which would scuttle all peace efforts.

The United States had reproached Sharon government for declaring new plans for expanding settlements.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that Israel's settlements policy is equivalent to playing with fire.

He said that the sustained Israeli settlement threatens to further trigger the situation.

Reuters reported that the tone used by Boucher for denouncing Jewish settlement was much stronger than many US statements on settlement in the past, an Egyptian statement reported.

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