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Mitchell: US is Determined to Reach a Comprehensive Arab-Israeli Peace
Speaking after a meeting with Mr Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, on Monday, George Mitchell said he would encourage Arab nations to normalise relations with Israel, but only as the peace process progresses.
The talks in Cairo were part of a flurry of US diplomacy across the region aimed at renewing the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
In Israel on Monday, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, moved to ease some of the tensions with Washington’s closest ally in the region by addressing its concerns over Iran’s controversial nuclear programme and highlighting its military support for Israel.
Gates defended attempts by Barack Obama, the US president, to achieve a negotiated settlement to the standoff over demands that Tehran halt uranium enrichment.
“I think … the timetable that the president has laid out still seems to be viable and does not significantly increase the risks to anybody,” he said at a joint news conference with Ehud Barak, his Israeli counterpart.
But he said Washington would continue “to provide a robust annual military assistance package” to Israel.
“We are contributing both financial and technical assistance to strengthen Israel’s defence against the growing threat posed by rockets and missiles, and we will continue to ensure that Israel has the most advanced weapons for its national defence,” he said.
Gates also highlighted that achieving long-term security for Israel “depends on a sustainable comprehensive” Middle East peace, a goal he said was important for regional stability.
Barak endorsed the US strategy on Iran, but said any negotiations should be kept to a tight schedule and there should be a readiness to impose tougher UN Security Council sanctions.
“If there is an engagement, we believe it should be short in time, well-defined in objectives, followed by sanctions, preferably (United Nations Charter) Chapter 7-type of sanctions,” he said.
Mitchell, who has already visited Syria and Israel in recent days, stressed the need for all Arab nations, as well as the government in Tel Aviv, to work together to resolve the conflict.
“If we are to succeed, we will need Arabs and Israelis alike to work with us to bring about comprehensive peace,” he said.
He also urged the Palestinians to refrain from “words or actions that might make meaningful and productive negotiations impossible”.
Mitchell later repeated his message after meeting Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president in Ramallah in the West Bank.
But after the meeting, Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, questioned whether Washington’s efforts would be enough to secure an independent Palestinian state in the future.
“If the US cannot have Israel comply with obligations like stopping settlement activities including natural growth, who will believe that the US will be able to have Israel comply to withdraw to the ’67 borders or solve the problems of Jerusalem, refugees, water, security?” (AFP, Reuters, Aljazeera, CBS, UBI)
Ahmed Gamal
Global Arab Network