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May 11, 2009

Netanyahu: Talks With Palestinians Soon
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=242B0AF:A6F02AD83191E160FF0F2149AEEC6B235C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Israeli prime minister has not said he supports the creation of a
Palestinian state, something the prior Israeli government had worked
toward 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he hopes to restart peace
talks with the Palestinians in the next few weeks.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, and Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu deliver a joint communique to the media in Sharm el-Sheik,
Egypt, 11 May 2009The Israeli leader spoke in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt,
Monday, at a news conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Mr.
Netanyahu said he wants Israelis and Palestinians to live with the hope
of peace, security and prosperity. He stressed that the three elements
go hand in hand, and not one at the expense of the other. The Israeli
prime minister has not said he supports the creation of a Palestinian
state, something the prior Israeli government had worked toward and is
the basis of Arab and Western peace efforts. President Mubarak said he
urged Mr. Netanyahu to accept the creation of a Palestinian state, and
that the Israeli leader told him Israel is committed to seeking peace.
The Egyptian leader said everyone in the region is looking forward to
peace, and to ending the vicious circle of violence and
counter-violence.!
 Mr. Netanyahu is in Egypt, his nation's main ally in the Middle East,
ahead of a visit next week to Washington. He is expected to meet with
U.S. President Barack Obama on May 18. Earlier Monday, the "London
Times" published an interview with Jordan's King Abdullah, saying he and
Mr. Obama came up with a peace plan last month under which all Arab and
Muslim countries would recognize Israel. The Jordanian monarch dubbed
the plan the "57-state solution," a spin on the proposed two-state
solution that would create a Palestinian nation alongside Israel.
Fifty-seven U.N. nations do not formally recognize Israel, and King
Abdullah says this problem requires more than a peace formed in an
Israeli-Palestinian "vacuum." Jordan already recognizes Israel. Mr.
Abdullah's comments come ahead of a Middle East debate Monday at the
United Nations Security Council. Russia called the meeting of the
council's 15 foreign ministers to underscore the "urgency of reaching
comprehensive peace" in the region. Some information for this report was
provided by 
AP and Reuters.


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