Mubarak gives terms for deal with Israel

CAIRO, Monday

Arab states would recognise Israel and normalise ties with the Jewish state after a just and comprehensive Middle East peace is achieved, but not before, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said.

In an interview with the state-controlled daily al-Ahram today, Mubarak, in Washington for talks with the US administration, said the Arab experience with stalled peace talks in the wake of the 1991 Madrid peace conference “did not encourage” taking steps towards normalisation with Israel.

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell in July called on Arab states to take “meaningful steps towards normalisation of relations with Israel.”

Initiative offers

“I affirmed to (US) President (Barack) Obama in Cairo that the Arab initiative offers recognition of Israel and normalisation with it after, and not before, achieving a just and comprehensive peace,” Mubarak told al-Ahram.

“I told him that some Arab states which had mutual trade representation offices with Israel could consider reopening those offices if Israel commits to stopping settlement (building) and resumes final status negotiations with the Palestinian Authority where they left off with Olmert’s government,” Mubarak added.

Asked about possible Egyptian participation in an extended US “defence umbrella” referred to in July by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a response to a nuclear Iran, Mubarak said Egypt would not be part of it as it would not allow foreign troops or experts on its land.

Additionally, such an umbrella would imply a tacit recognition of a regional nuclear power, which Mubarak said Egypt was opposed to, whether it was Iran or Israel.

Mubarak also dismissed speculation that he was planning to dissolve parliament.

Independent Egyptian newspapers have suggested Mubarak could dissolve the assembly to remove the more vocal opponents of his government as a first step to engineering a succession that would bring his son Gamal, 45, to power. (Reuters)