Mubarak might visit Israel after Sharm al-Sheikh summit

The Israeli army radio said that the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak might accept making his official visit to Israel after the Sharm al-Sheikh summit conference next Tuesday.

The radio said that Mubarak told close aides to him of the possibility to agree the invitation of the visit Sharon is expected during Sharm al-Sheikh summit.

Since he assumed power 24 years ago, Mubarak is only confined to the talks he holds frequently with the Israeli officials in Egypt or telephone contacts with them. Only for one time, the Egyptian President visited Israel to take part in the funeral of the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in October 1995.

The Israeli radio also said that Egypt is preparing to return back its ambassador to Tel Aviv after Sharm al-Sheikh summit. Egypt had withdrawn its ambassador by the end of 2000 following the al-Aqsa Intifada in protest of the Israeli oppression of the Palestinians.

High ranking Egyptian sources linked between achieving the optimum progress during the Sharm al-Sheikh summit and nominating the new Egyptian ambassador to Tel Aviv to join his post later.

At the meantime, Cairo is currently making intensive efforts to revive the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel and in this context Mubarak extended the invitation to convene the Sharm al-Sheikh summit.