Egypt: Security can be ensured with peace

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa stated that the security the Israeli government claims to preserve can be achieved only through the realization of a just and comprehensive peace providing for the restoration of lands and rights.

Moussa asserted the need to work to ensure peace for all, not only Israel, because such a security "will not survive, nor be acceptable."

In a statement to the Egyptian daily al-Ahram issued on Tuesday, Moussa asserted that the Israeli claims that its security is an internal matter in which Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will not permit the U.S. to interfere, do not apply because the U.S. speaks of the occupied Arab territories, which are not an internal Israeli issue.

Many see Netanyahu's repeated statement that he "will not compromise on Israel's security" as a cover-all statement to hide under to avoid compromising with the Palestinians and other Arab states to resolve the outstanding problems.

Moussa asked, "Where is the security of the Palestinians, and where is the security of the Arab states?"

The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated his country's position toward Israeli conditions concerning withdrawal from south Lebanon, calling for unconditional implementation of U.N. resolution 425.

Meanwhile, Nabil Shaath, Palestinian minister of planning and international cooperation, said that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright have agreed to carry on with the pursuit of progress despite the present dim picture, Netanyahu's obstruction of the peace process and his failure to make any positive proposals.

In a press statement made in Cairo on Tuesday Shaath said Albright had asked Arafat to delay taking any decision in order to give U.S. President Bill Clinton the chance to carry on with his efforts to narrow the gap between all parties concerned.

Commenting on the European role in the Middle East peace process, Shaath said that in light of the present stalemate, it is expected that the European role will be more active and effective. Shaath did not rule out the return of U.S. Middle East peace process coordinator Dennis Ross to the region.