Jerusalem is a sensitive, complicated, serious issue

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has said that he told US President Bill Clinton, President Jacques Chirac of France and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that the issue of Jerusalem is very sensitive, complicated and serious.

In an interview with Al Gomhuria Newspaper, Mubarak reiterated that no Arab would accept that sovereignty over Jerusalem be given to Israel. This is a foregone conclusion. All Arabs agree on a unified stance on this issue which is not up for discussion.

Mubarak said he had taken up the problem with Israeli acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and acquainted him with the trouble that would face Palestinian President Yasser Arafat if he made concessions on Jerusalem.

Mubarak added in the interview that he told the Israeli official that the alternative to Arafat would be "difficult". "You will not find anyone to negotiate with."

Mubarak cited Clinton's eagerness to make a peace breakthrough before leaving the White House in January. "Time is passing quickly. And if Clinton's Presidential term comes to an end without solving the issue, it will need a long time to be given enough attention on the agenda of the new US Administration," Mubarak added.