President Hosni Mubarak said the Israeli aggression on Gaza attempted to impose a new reality on the Palestinians and the Arabs. “It is a new reality meant to serve certain regional forces and their agendas by dissolving the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority and granting it to the factions so as to deepen the divide between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Stressing that Egypt will not take blackmail, Mubarak said: “I will not allow anyone to pull us into uncalculated actions driven by those regional forces to serve their interests. Egypt has a strong and able army that will not risk the lives of its soldiers except to defend the homeland and its sovereignty.”
During the celebration of Police Day, Mubarak warned of forming a new reference for the Palestinian people. “To whose benefit should we dismiss the historical legitimacy of the Palestine Liberation Organization? Is it not better to work on reforming it? Did not all the factions agree to this in Cairo in 2005?” he said.
He added: “Was Egypt, with its role and positions, the target since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza? The developments before, during and after the aggression suggest so. Last year, there were calls for withdrawing the Arab peace initiative. Such calls were stronger during the aggression on Gaza and in the Doha meeting and the Kuwait summit. Was this the purpose behind escalating the situation in Gaza?” Mubarak continued: “What is the alternative to withdrawing or freezing the initiative? Is it just cutting relations and closing embassies, or is war to the last Egyptian soldier? Was the ultimate goal to blackmail Egypt and pull our legs? Real resistance is not by slogans that trade with the blood of the innocent civilians.”
As to the Israeli claims about smuggling through the tunnels, Mubarak said: “The smuggling of goods was the result of the embargo. And the Israeli-American agreement to control the smuggling of weapons does not concern us, as we are able to secure our borders. We will not accept any foreign observers on the Egyptian side of the border or any Israeli arrangements for our land, territorial waters or airspace.”
Pointing out that the instigators of war stood idly by during the aggression on the Gaza Strip and merely chanted slogans and speeches, Mubarak said: “The history of the Arab world is replete with numerous examples of those who have but merely shouted. We have to remember how Egypt was dragged to the defeat of 1967, and we must not forget that the Arab and Palestinian scene now is a repercussion of that defeat.”
He continued: “Our role will remain the first and primary due to Egypt's location, history, size and status. Egypt shall remain much taller than those who try to discredit it whereas they give nothing useful to the Palestinian people or cause.” Mubarak stressed that the reconciliation of the Arab Economic Summit of Kuwait was contingent on good faith, matching words with deeds and reviewing the positions of those who have criticized Egypt.
He added: “The core of the conflict remains to be the Palestinian cause, ending occupation and establishing the State. It will remain contingent on the ability of the factions to unite, the ability of us Arabs to prevent Israel from eluding a just peace and our ability to make the international forces meet their responsibilities. The aggression on Gaza has broken our hearts and deepened our hatred of Israel. And we moved before anyone else to contain the repercussions of that aggression, while at the same time preserve our interests away from hasty decisions.” Mubarak continued: “Palestine is in the hearts of the Egyptians who gave a lot to its cause and sacrificed their lives for it. Had it not been to the successive wars for Palestine since 1948, our country and our people would have done much better today. I say with all honesty that we will continue to support the Palestinian people and cause with the maximum effort. However, the priority will always remain for Egypt above all else.” He added: “Challenges and crises reveal the true nature of a people, and the Gaza tragedy revealed our solidity and maturity. And I am well aware that the 80 million Egyptians are looking for a safe and dignified life, and look forward to a better present and a better future for themselves and their children and grandchildren. They are aware that successive generations of our people have suffered the scourge of war and tasted its bitterness, and they know that sliding away from peace dispels their desire for growth and development.” Mubarak concluded: “As President, I will continue to work with maximum effort to achieve the aspirations of our people to live in peace and dignity protected by strength, to more investments, employment opportunities and a better tomorrow.”
