Mubarak: Israel destroyed the peace

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held the Israeli government responsible for destroying the Middle East peace process on its various tracks.

In statements issued by Egyptian dailies in Cairo on Sunday, the Egyptian president asserted Arab refusal to cooperate with Israel under its continued occupation of the Arab territories and its refusal of international legitimacy resolutions.

The Egyptian president asserted that a just and comprehensive peace based on implementation of international legitimacy is the basis on which to achieve security and stability in the Middle East. He added that it is difficult for any Arab side "to swim against the trend of the Arab people, who refuse to deal with Israel."

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon on Sunday defended the decision taken by the Israeli Knesset recently intending at perpetuating Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. In statements he made on Sunday to Israel Radio, Sharon renewed his government's rejection of resuming negotiations with Syria from the point at which they broke off and intent to backtrack from the results of these negotiations.

The Israeli FM called for the separation of the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in the peace process. That same day, Israeli warplanes evening carried out aggressive air raids against the western sector of south Lebanon and fired air-to-surface rockets. Lebanese security sources said Israeli warplanes raided at the same time Yater and Jabal al-Botoum towns and also fired air-surface rockets. The Lebanese sources continued that the Lebanese resistance confronted the Israeli warplanes.

Egypt's relations with Israel has been termed as a "cold peace" by the Israelis who had hoped to isolate Egypt from a common Arab front which would present a much more effective lever against the Israeli policy of not honoring signed agreements, perpetuation occupation and oppression in the Syrian Golan, Palestine and South Lebanon territories.

President Mubarak called for a more active European role to give the Middle East peace process a push forward.