Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Stop the Presses! Egypt's Prez reveals that Muslims want Israeli concessions!

Jihad Watch

After the Palestinians have trampled upon every agreement they have ever signed, and have boasted about doing so before Arabic-speaking audiences, Mubarak has the breathtaking chutzpah to demand Israeli concessions and pretend that the Israelis are the intransigent party. But of course, this is what gets results, again and again. "Mideast: Arabs want Israeli concessions, says Mubarak," from AKI, August 17 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Washington, 17 August (AKI) - Arab states will not normalise ties with Israel until a formal peace deal is signed with the Palestinians, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said on Monday. In an interview with the Egyptian daily Ah-Ahram, Mubarak said the experience of 1991's Madrid peace conference had discouraged Arab states from further normalising ties without reciprocal gestures from Israel.

The interview was cited by the Palestinian news service, Maan, as Mubarak was due to arrive in Washington on Monday.

Mubarak was slated to meet key US government officials, including secretary of state Hillary Clinton, before his first White House visit in five years.

Egyptian officials said Mubarak would also hold talks with national security advisor, James Jones, and director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, and have a private meeting with representatives from eight US Jewish groups.

Among the Jewish organisations were the American Israel Public Affairs Committee - the leading pro-Israel lobby in the United States - J Street and the Anti-Defamation League.

Mubarak's meeting with president Barack Obama will be the third time the leaders have met. Since his election, Obama stressed early in his term his desire to make the stalled Middle East peace process a top priority of his administration.

Obama has asked Arab countries to make overtures toward Israel as a way to advance peace talks between Israel and Palestine, by allowing Israel to use their airspace or opening economic interest offices.

The US has also demanded Israel freeze settlements, including any natural growth, but all sides have refused to take the first step with Palestinians having ended negotiations with Israel during the Gaza assault last winter.

The Madrid conference, held in October 1991, was hosted by Spain and co-sponsored by the United States and the former USSR.

It was an attempt by the international community to start a peace process through negotiations involving Israel and the Palestinians as well as Arab countries including Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War.

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