Egyptian FM criticizes Israeli policy
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 7/23/2001

Egyptian Foreign Minster Ahmed Maher described as contradictory the Israeli policies.

He cited Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres' claims during his latest visit to Egypt that Sharon's government has decided not to set up any more settlements and that building inside existing ones requires permissions that could not be easily obtained.

This contradiction is always there in the Israeli policies, Maher said, adding that they (the Israelis) want a seven-day calm on the Palestinian side while continuing to assassinate Palestinians, scoop up land, burn down houses and arrest Palestinians.

This came during Maher's meeting with members of the Egyptian Committee of Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization.

Maher also pointed out that Peres' statements contradict the Israeli stances, adding that these consistencies reveal insincerity and reflect extremism and underestimation of others.

"These stances have alerted Egypt to stand firm against them and to continue contacts in a bid to show reality and the looming threats," said Maher.

"At a time Arabs have prepared themselves to accept Israel. But it seems that Israel is yet to accept Palestinians who have rights that should be respected including their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital," he added."Israel sees that the Palestinian people should not be allowed to be a nation like any other nation but rather an interior second-degree one," Maher noted.

"We discovered that this government is not capable of realizing peace. But this does not mean relinquishing the idea of peace.

"We should continue to work for establishing peace," he added.

According to Maher, the Mitchell report, which included a number of recommendations accepted by the two parties, is not a panacea for the issue but rather a map that could lead to negotiations for final status issues.

"Some might consider the Mitchell report a legal reference although UN resolutions are the ones that embody international legitimacy as well as Madrid terms of reference," Maher noted.

He maintained that the viable and lasting solution, is setting up two independent states which share some sort of cooperation based on mutual respect.

He warned that if Israel failed to recognize this formula, violence would continue and negotiations would be extremely grueling.

Maher cited growing Western awareness of the threats posed by policies of Sharon government.

He pointed out that among Sharon's plots is undermining the Palestinian Authority.

"Some countries including the US recently visited by Sharon, have voiced concern over these policies," he said.

Maher called for an end to sanctions imposed on Iraq. "Iraq has made a mistake by invading an Arab country, but what is happening to the Iraqi people must end."

Iraqis have been in the grip of inexorable UN sanctions imposed following Baghdad's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Previous Stories:
  Arab and world concern over Mubarak's statements to Chinese News Agency   (7/21/2001)
  Mubarak: Sharon knows nothing but bloodshed,war   (7/19/2001)
  Mubarak apprises Peres of Egypt's rejection of Israeli practices   (7/16/2001)

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