Israeli Labor's peace plan, Ben Eliezer talks with Mubarak

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on Monday in Alexandria described his talks with Israel’s Defense Minister Benyamin Ben Eliezer as constructive. He said it was agreed on means and ways of giving the peace process a push forward.

In a press conference he held after meeting with Ben Eliezer, Mubarak said "we feel the suffering of the Palestinians and that these sufferings can be settled only through peace, when there will be hope for all citizens to live in peace." Mubarak added that it was also agreed to continue these contacts.

The President warned that the use of force would deepen hatred and grudges among peoples. These grudges may take time longer that expected.

The President told the press conference that the issue requires patience and perseverance to make headway towards peace.

Answering a question on Israel's stance towards Arafat's survival in power, the President said we are disagreed on this issue as Arafat, according to world press, is the father of Palestinians but we can agree on a method for reactivating negotiations and lead to a solution without excluding Arafat.

"We made contacts with President Arafat, contacts are also underway with the Israeli side so that we may reach a formula so that a solution could be found.

As for the meeting of quartet committee in New York, President Mubarak said he could not predict anything about this meeting but he said he understands that it would tackle the Arab Israeli conflict together with other political issues that should be tackled at negotiations table.

Answering a question on the Israeli Labour Party peace plan, the President said he believes it is constructive but declined to elaborate.

Meantime, sources at the Egyptian foreign ministry said that Ben Eliezer proposed to President Mubarak the plan by the Israeli "Labor" party to find a political settlement and to return back to the table of negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. The sources said that Ben Eliezer's plan includes the following points: taking several measures to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinians but without defining its content; working for founding a new Palestinian leadership; withdrawal from the Palestinian cities and villages after a complete halt of what was described by the plan as acts of violence; halting the building of settlements and eliminating some of them; returning back to the table of security and political negotiations simultaneously; founding a Palestinian state, but with giving no mention to Jerusalem and the question of the refugees.

Egyptian foreign ministry sources described this plan as vague and of have no timetable for implementation.