WASHINGTON-- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and US President Wednesday met for talks on overcoming obstacles to regional peace, reported Egypt's official Middle East News Agency. Their talks, which preceded a dinner to be hosted by Obama for the leaders, came ahead of the relaunch of direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks on Thursday. Mubarak has called for the deployment of an international force in the West Bank to help restore confidence between the Palestinians and Israel, appealing for both sides to make the negotiations a success. "Egypt believes that the presence of an international force in the West Bank, to be stationed for a period to be agreed upon by all parties, could give both sides the confidence and security they seek," Mubarak wrote an op-ed carried by the New York Times newspaper published Wednesday. “As someone who has witnessed both the ravages of war and the hope for peace, I appeal to all sides to make this new round of negotiations the one that succeeds,” Mubarak wrote. Mubarak highlighted the Palestinians' demand for an independent state and Israel's need to live in peace and security with its neighbours. "I recognise that Israel has legitimate security needs, needs that can be reconciled with the Palestinians' just demands for a complete withdrawal from occupied territory," said the Egyptian leader, who was invited along with Jordan's King Abdullah to attend the talks hosted by Obama. Mubarak cited his country's readiness to host future rounds of negotiations between Palestinians and Israel. "Egypt stands ready to host the subsequent rounds of negotiations. Every major Palestinian-Israeli agreement has been reached with active Egyptian involvement, in close collaboration with the United States," Mubarak wrote. In his article, Mubarak stressed that "a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians would bring the light of hope to the Middle East and to people everywhere". Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has long played a mediation role. Mubarak has been invited to attend the launch of the new round of talks, along with Jordan's king, whose country also made peace with Israel. But Egypt often criticises Israel, particularly with its settlement building, as placing obstacles in the way of peace, while Cairo's own efforts to prepare the ground for talks, such as trying to heal a rift between Palestinian factions, have yielded little progress. "For its part, Israel should make no mistake: settlements and peace are incompatible, as they deepen the occupation that Palestinians seek to end," the Egyptian President wrote. Mubarak held one-on-one talks with Obama, who later hosted a dinner for the Egyptian leader, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan. "A complete halt to Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is critical if the negotiations are to succeed, starting with an extension of Israel's moratorium on settlement-building, which expires this month," he added. A flare-up of violence in the Palestinian West Bank and a deadlock over Jewish settlements there loom as potential deal-breakers for Obama. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to keep the talks on track after a 20-month hiatus while stressing Israel's security demands. "I will set clearly the security needs that are required precisely to address these kind of terror," Netanyahu said. "We will not let the blood of Israeli civilians go unpunished." Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, meanwhile, hinted at possible compromise over one of the most sensitive issues by saying yesterday Israel would be willing to hand over parts of Jerusalem in talks with the Palestinians. Mubarak outlined in his article the broad principles many Arabs see as essential to any deal, including creating a Palestinian state on land occupied in the 1967 war and establishing Jerusalem as a capital for both sides. But he urged Arabs to support peace. "Arab nations should continue to demonstrate the seriousness of their peace initiative with steps that address the hopes and concerns of ordinary Israelis," he said, referring to a 2002 peace proposal. He also said that Gaza, controlled by the Islamist group Hamas and which has been under an inexorable Israeli blockade, must not be excluded from a deal. "The Palestinians cannot make peace with a house divided. If Gaza is excluded from the framework of peace, it will remain a source of conflict, undermining any final settlement," he said, offering to resume efforts to heal Palestinian divisions. Inputs from news agencies
