Monday, February 14, 2011

Egypt, Israel in first talks after “revolution”

 
Egypt, Israel in first talks after
In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel while it maintains its occupation of Palestinian territories. 
Israel and Egypt’s new military rulers have made initial contact and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed their announcement to stand by Cairo’s peace treaty with the Jewish state.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt’s Higher Military Council, spoke by telephone on Saturday, a ministry spokeswoman said, declining to give further details.

In remarks to reporters that echoed a written statement issued on Saturday, Netanyahu voiced satisfaction that Egypt’s military leadership had announced it would respect all the country’s international treaties.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel while it maintains its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Events in Egypt were likely to top the agenda at talks Netanyahu was due to hold on Monday with Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was dispatched by Washington to Israel and Jordan, another U.S. ally.

Captain John Kirby, a senior aide to Mullen, told Reuters the top U.S. military officer wished “to affirm Washington’s commitment to its military relationship with Israel at a critical time in the Middle East.”

Agencies

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