Bibi in EgyptPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh today for the first time since taking office.
The meeting is a lead-up to the Israeli PM's trip to Washington later this month.
Mubarak said peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority should resume from "where they stopped" and culminate in the creation of a Palestinian state.
The Israeli leader stated his desire to re-start negotiations with the Palestinian Authority shortly. "We want, as soon as possible, to resume the peace talks with the Palestinians and I hope they will indeed resume in the coming weeks," Netanyahu stressed.
Netanyahu also requested Mubarak's help in building a coalition against Iran, and suggested the new conflict in the region be framed as between moderates, like Israel and Egypt, against extremists. This fits perfectly with the Egyptian regime's discourse already.
Netanyahu praised Egypt as a force of stability in the region and suggested it faces the same enemies as Israel. This visit demonstrates the importance Israel attaches to Egypt's role.
Also:
- Egypt's centrality in the American foreign policy was recently underscored by the Obama administration's announcement the American leader would address the Arab and Muslim peoples from Cairo on June 4. Many wonder whether President Obama will pressure Egypt on the reform issue raised by the Bush administration. Since this American President enjoys much more popularity in the region that did the previous one, his words may be more influential.
- King Abdallah of Jordan said Israel would benefit from a peace deal in the form of a 57-state solution, meaning Israel would gain good relations with all Muslim majority states as well.
UN to debate how to revive flagging Mideast peace (AFP)
80 percent of prisoners in Palestinian jails still held without trial (Ha'aretz)
Pope calls for a Palestinian homeland (Los Angeles Times)
Pope, in Israel, Asks for Just Resolution to Conflict (Bloomberg)
Netanyahu: We'll ease Palestinians' lives (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Group says Israel plan to cement hold on Jerusalem (The Associated Press)
Palestinian refugees mark Nakba day in hope of return (Xinhua)
Palestine and the Palestinians
Abbas to swear in Palestinian govt without Hamas by Wednesday (Times of India)
Islamic Jihad rep: Palestinians have not recognized Israel (ISNA)
Road leading from Mateh Binyamin to Jerusalem opens to Palestinian traffic (Ynetnews)
Palestinian president to visit Damascus - sources (Monsters and Critics.com)
US General Builds A Palestinian Army (The Nation)
60 Palestinians seized en route to Israel (Ynetnews)
Hamas says not oppose ceasefire deal with Israel (Xinhua)
Hamas official denies ceasefire with Israel to be reached soon (Xinhua)
Commerce in a Time of Occupation (Washington Post)
Christians in Gaza Make Their Appeal to the Pope (TIME)
Israel limits Gaza Christians hoping to see Pope (Reuters)
Transcript: Interview With Khaled Meshal of Hamas (NY Times)
Israel
Israel plans to 'surround' Old City: rights group (AFP)
Israel 'using tourism to extend control of Jerusalem' (Telegraph.co.uk)
Israeli researcher suggests creating 'Palestinian emirates' (Ma'an News Agency)
Jerusalem Affairs: Marketing the Holy Land (Jerusalem Post)
Deputy FM: No link between Iran, Palestinians (Ynetnews)
Israeli minister blocks zone deal for Church sites (Reuters)
Israel: pope to urge universal religious freedom (EnerPub)
Two IDF soldiers arrested for robbing Palestinian in Gaza (Ha'aretz)
'Israel is quietly expelling young settler couples from West Bank' (Ha'aretz)
Kassam strikes Israel (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The Neighbors
Iraq wants Israel to pay for bombing reactor (Ynetnews)
King Abdullah in Mid-East warning (BBC News)
Jordan's king says US pushing new plan for Mideast (Washington Post)
Lebanese speaker voices commitment to Palestinian rights (Xinhua)
Hezbollah: Lebanese army has no strategic weapons to confront Israel (Xinhua)
Israel 'sleepers' unmasked in Lebanon (AFP)
Israel And Syria (Voice of America)
Karroubi says would interact with all countries except Israel (Tehran Times)
US Foreign Policy
Arab hopes rise ahead of Obama address (Irish Times)
Obama visit to boost Egypt's role as mediator in Arab-Israeli peace talks (Gulf News)
US aid to Israel to continue despite crisis (Ynetnews)
In US, A Change In Tone On Israel (NPR)
Israel FM to run 'strategic dialogue' with US (AFP)
A secret US-Israel accord on nukes? (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
10 attorneys general defend Israel (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
International Law/Relations
Israel urged to back a two-state solution (United Press International)
OIC urges to stop Israel's destroying Palestinian houses (TREND Information)
Blair says Israel-Palestinian talks must address core issues (Reuters)
Israeli FM carries out first overseas mission in dispute (Xinhua)
EU pushes Israel hard to accept two-state solution (New Europe)
EU to decide on ties after Israel review-Solana (Reuters)
Russia urges UN to push Israel over peace (PRESS TV)
Arts and Activism
Arab and Jew to sing for peace at Eurovision (AFP)
Anti-Israel activists urge Leonard Cohen to nix T.A. show (Ha'aretz)
Gallery parts ways with artist over politics (JTA)
Anglican Consultative Council reaffirms two-state solution (Worldwide Faith News)
Commentary
Dion Nissenbaum: Israel's 'disappointed dove' (Checkpoint Jerusalem)
Obama is changing the rules of Mideast pressure (Ha'aretz)
Iran to procure Chinese defense system (Jerusalem Post)
A growing divergence between Jerusalem and Washington? (Jerusalem Post)
Iqbal Tamimi: Joseph, the fifteen-month-old Palestinian Prisoner (uruknet.info)
Bradley Burston: How would Israel look if its left finally died? (Ha'aretz)
Helena Cobban: Meshaal on the Palestinian state alongside Israel; Nunu on the tahdi'eh (Just World News)
Amira Hass: Israel knows that peace just doesn't pay (Ha'aretz)
Max Hastings: The paradox of Israel's pursuit of might (guardian.co.uk)
Rasool Nafisi: How Ahmadinejad helped Israel (Jerusalem Post)
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