On Israeli - Algerian relations

In a statement to the correspondent of the Algerian daily al-Watan, currently making a series of reports inside Israel, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Nawaf Masalha said there are no more disputes between Algeria and Israel following the surprising historic meeting between Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, on the sidelines of the funeral of Morocco's King Hassan II.

In his statement, which was quoted on Tuesday by Monte Carlo radio, Masalha expressed his conviction that the chance will be available for signing peace agreements between Israel and Algeria during the four coming years after achieving peace between Israel and each of Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians on the grounds that the "coolness" between Israel and Algeria is caused by the Arab - Israeli conflict, during which Algeria tried to help the Arabs and the Palestinians restore their rights.

Masalha continued that when Arab rights are restored there "will be no disputes between Israel and Algeria."

Masalha continued that Israel's relations with Algeria can be developed in a way similar to what has been taking place with Morocco, Mauritania, Egypt and Qatar. He noted that cooperation between Israel and Algeria can cover several areas, including trade, tourism, health, agriculture and technology, in particular.

In this context Masalha recalled the violent war between France and Algeria, in which Algeria lost some one and a half million martyrs and by the ultimate end relations improved between the two countries.