Egypt debunks Israeli claim on Palestinians

In what could be a pattern of Israeli behavior against Palestinian leaders who value Palestinian unity and interests, Israel is making negative remarks to discredit the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who was popularly elected through a democratic process.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul -Gheit yesterday said that Israel had revived its claim that there is no Palestinian partner for peace.

"I urge the Israeli side to stop such talk, which will lead to nowhere but to more complications," he told diplomatic reporters before leaving for Addis Ababa to lead Egypt's delegation to an extraordinary African summit.

"President Mahmoud Abbas is a Palestinian President elected several months ago and has international recognition and the recognition from the Palestinian people," added Abul -Gheit. He said that the Palestinian leadership was interested in negotiating with Israel.

Meanwhile, Iran and Israel are members of the UN and the world organisation has never witnessed the dismantling of any state.This statement by Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul- Gheit came yesterday in response to a question on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's call for wiping Israel off the world map.

Minister Abul -Gheit said, in statements carried by the Middle East News Agency (MENA) that since Egypt signed the Camp David Accord and the peace treaty with Israel, the country is working hard to push for the establishment of a Palestinian state to exist alongside Israel in peace.

"Egypt is exerting maximum efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside an Israel defined by its 1967 borders," Abul -Gheit said.

Minister Abul- Gheit warned that Egypt wanted Israel and the future state of Palestine "to live side by side in peace and security, with stable and recognized borders and without any threat to one or the other."