Mubarak holds international contacts to halt Israeli aggression on Palestinians
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 8/30/2001

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said that President Hosni Mubarak conducting international contacts with a number of heads of state to halt the Israeli aggression on the Palestinians.

Maher on Wednesday warned against the repercussion the recent escalation of Israeli violence against the Palestinian people, noting that Egypt was making contacts with all sides.

"President Hosni Mubarak has conveyed to Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres Egypt's categorical condemnation of Israeli policy of assassination, its use of warplanes and other military hardware ordnance against the Palestinians who are fighting for their independence," Maher said in statements to reporters.

Contacts with the Israelis have been made upon an initiative by them, Maher said, in reference to Peres's call to Mubarak.

"The contacts were an opportunity to stress that Israel's practices were not in the good of the region's security, and would only lead to further tension in the region and pan Arab and international wrath towards Israel," Maher noted.

"Many countries, including the US have expressed their rejection of the Israeli policy of assassination whose latest victim was the chief of the Popular Front for the liberation of Palestine (PFLP)," he said.

Maher, however, criticized the US Administration stances for failing to live up to the level of the current events.

Asked whether the Palestinian cause was going through the so-called "worst scenario", and whether it was being assassinated", Maher said "the question is not that of scenarios, but rather of unacceptable Israeli policies that violate all the rules of international law.

Egypt will not permit the assassination of the Palestinian cause, and its support for the Palestinian people and their Intifada and struggle is beyond doubt.

There is anger in the Egyptian and Arab street at the US negative attitudes, he said, calling for a stronger and fairer stance by Washington.

On the contacts the EU said it was making with the US and Russia on the possibility of holding a meeting to consider how to get out of the stalemate, Maher said such a move could prove fruitful only if the three sides adopted a stance that would compel Israel to halt its policy of aggression.

Maher called on the international community to quickly move to face the Israeli crackdown on the Palestinians which, he said, was putting the region on the verge of a disaster.

"There could be no calm while Israel continues its daily bombing of the Palestinians and repeats that there is no such a thing as a final solution and insists to threaten to eliminate the Palestinian leadership, creating an atmosphere of violence and despair," he said.

On the Arab stance, described by some as weak, Maher said "the Arab stance could not be described as weak, for there is an Arab action at all levels, and we cannot expect immediate results."

Israel's ferocity is not a proof of strength, but rather of weakness, Maher said, noting that the Israelis were feeling their occupation days were numbered and that was making them very nervous.

On the US call on Syria to ensure self-restraint of the Syrian-based Palestinian movements, Maher said, "the question of self-restraint is repeated words that mean nothing at all".

"It is not logical to urge the side that faces a daily aggression to observe restraint," he said.

"The only means to halt violence is reviving the Palestinians' hope that the door is still open for a final settlement based on signed accords and the UN Charter," he said.

"Resuming negotiations will revive hope, and, if combined with a moratorium on Israeli violence, it will ultimately lead to a state of calm," Maher elaborated.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt condemns assassination of PFLP Chief   (8/28/2001)
  Egypt supports Palestinian stand   (8/28/2001)
  Foreign Affairs Council urges monitoring human rights in Palestine   (8/25/2001)

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