Mubarak: Israel should stop threatening war
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 9/30/1998

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has asserted that the Israeli government is responsible for intensifying conditions in the region in its frequent threats to wage war.

In an interview with Egyptian daily al-Ahram on Tuesday, President Mubarak warned against the concept of force and repression pursued by Israel.

Any peace, he said, should be built on justice and balance of power, adding that Egypt has to own power as a precondition to "protect peace." He asserted that it is not acceptable for Israel to have its stockpiled arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, while it strongly stands against Egypt having a missile or developing weapons in the context of building its own power.

President Hosni Mubarak told Al-Ahram that he deplored the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his war-like statements, at a time when Egypt and the Arabs are seeking to build peace saying "Netanyahu has attacked Camp David peace agreements and Oslo accords" and had it not been for Camp David, Netanyahu would have never become a Prime Minister.

"Camp David accords were the driving force behind peace with Egypt, negotiations with the Palestinians and the initiations of talks with Syria," Mubarak said. Mubarak said the Israelis seem to be oblivious and that the danger lies in the power-arrogance enveloping them, noting that war will not sort out the problem, Al-Ahram quoted him as saying.

If Netanyahu is threatening to launch a war, "I want to remind everybody that war has not ever settled an issue and we have so many living examples for this," said President Mubarak. Mubarak reminded of the lessons taught by the war of attrition that preceded the glorious victory of October 1973, Al-Ahram reported.

The Egyptian president added that the October liberation was a typical war regarding performance, preparation and planning. He said that the "war of attrition" was an important introduction for the October liberation war of 1973.

Previous Stories:
  El-Baz says no security as long as Israel possesses nuclear weapons   (9/28/1998)
  Egyptian FM: Israeli accusations will not change Egypt's policy   (9/18/1998)
  Cairo denies pressure to obstruct Israeli - Palestinian agreement   (9/10/1998)

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