Egypt urges Washington for just proposals to support Palestinian rights

Egypt's Ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmi called on Washington to come up with proposals on the Middle East peace process that go in line with the Palestinian legitimate rights based on its responsibility as a peace sponsor.

In a speech he delivered Thursday night before the Contemporary Arab Studies Centre, an affiliate to Georgetown University, Fahmi said that peace will not be established except on the basis of maintaining legitimate rights.

"The American public opinion should be edified about Arab priorities and the interests of the Arab public opinion," said Fahmi, pointing out that the current crisis showed lack of awareness in the United States about the Arab mentality.

He added that this lack of awareness was obvious in the US public opinion's amazement at the Palestinians' reactions to hawkish Israeli Likud Party leader Areil Sharon's provocative visit to Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

Fahmi accused the successive Israeli governments of doubling the numbers of Jewish settlers in the occupied Palestinian lands and launching a campaign to strip Palestinians off their rights in Jerusalem since the outset of the 1993 Oslo Accords.

The ambassador said that the current crisis, which is sparked by Israel's use of excessive violence to suppress the Palestinian people, represents a serious juncture that might pose a threat to the region's stability.

He called on Israel to stop its repressive measures against the Palestinians, stressing the international community's efforts to bring about just peace in the Middle East.