Netanyahu, Mubarak discuss proximity talks in Egypt
By DPA, IANSMonday, May 3, 2010
Sharm el-SHEIKH - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Monday to discuss Palestinian-Israeli indirect peace talks.
Netanyahu met with Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt’s state TV website reported.
The meeting comes two days after the Arab League backed “proximity” talks, which Washington said will begin this week with the end goal of having direct negotiations between the sides.
However, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said that indirect talks would not immediately lead to direct negotiations.
Netanyahu’s visit also comes ahead of US Middle East envoy George Mitchel’s expected visit to the region this week.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were suspended in late 2008, as Israel headed for elections. They have not been renewed since, despite the efforts of the Obama administration to get them going again.
In March, Arab states said they would allow the US four months for so-called proximity talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. However, the decision was rescinded shortly afterwards over an Israeli plan to build housing in contested East Jerusalem and then agreed upon again this past weekend.
The two leaders were also expected to touch on the situation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, weapons smuggling from the Sinai peninsula into the blockaded salient, and on Cairo’s demands that Israel’s nuclear facilities be opened to inspection, Israel Army Radio reported.
