Ben-Eliezer Arrives in Alexandria for Talks with Mubarak

15/07/2002| IslamWeb

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer arrived in Alexandria Monday afternoon and was headed to a meeting with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, Israel Radio reports. Ben-Eliezer's visit follows that of Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg and Transport Minister Ephraim Sneh, both senior Labor Party leaders.

On Friday, Mubarak said he was opening contacts with Labor officials so that "Egypt will not be excluded from efforts to achieve peace."

Mubarak complained that Sharon was unresponsive to suggestions he sent him last week through a personal envoy and accused Sharon of being "very rigid."

Mubarak, quoted Monday in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyyassa, said Palestinians and Israeli should resume peace talks that stalled two years ago after the collapse of the Camp David negotiations.

Israeli media have accused Mubarak of trying to meddle in Israel's internal affairs with his overture to Labor. (Read photo caption)

Egyptian analysts agree Egypt is trying to push the Labor Party to play a leading role in the Israeli peace camp.

"This could be a long term process that might culminate in Sharon's downfall in the next elections," Rida Hilal, deputy editor of Egypt leading daily Al Ahram, told The Associated Press

PHOTO CAPTION

The leader of Israel's Labor party, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, speaks during the Labor party conference in Tel-Aviv Tuesday July 2, 2002. Ben-Eliezer fought off a bid by his rivals to take the party out of the broad coalition government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi)
- Jul 02 5:46 PM ET