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Netanyahu. Forming policy
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Lieberman. Will he meet with Suleiman?
Photo: AP

Egyptian intel chief to meet Netanyahu

Omar Suleiman to arrive in Israel on Wednesday for series of meetings with state officials, on backdrop of high tensions between Cairo and Jerusalem. On the agenda: Talks for Gilad Shalit's release, expanding strategic cooperation. Meeting with FM Lieberman also possible despite controversial remarks

Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for a series of meetings with the Israeli political echelon, on the backdrop of high tensions between Cairo and Jerusalem.

 

Suleiman will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and perhaps even with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, despite the latter's harsh remarks against the Egyptians.

 

Sources in the Foreign Ministry said that one of the goals of the meeting was to ease the tense relations.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu will examine during his meeting with Suleiman possibilities to advance the negotiations for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. The talks on the matter have been frozen since former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left office, and at this stage the new government has yet to form its policy on the issue.

 

On Tuesday, Netanyahu accepted a request by Ofer Dekel, the Prime Minister's Office emissary heading Israel's efforts to secure the release of its missing and captive soldiers, to leave his post. The prime minister has yet to decide who will replace Dekel.
 Suleiman with Barak on one of his previous visits (Photo: AFP)

 

The Egyptian minister is expected to land in Israel in the afternoon hours. At this stage there has been no official announcement on an expected meeting with Foreign Minister Lieberman. However senior state officials say that such a meeting could take place between Suleiman's meetings with Netanyahu and Peres.

 

The Egyptian minister is visiting Jerusalem on the backdrop of high tensions between Egypt and the Foreign Ministry, following Lieberman's past remarks, including, "The Egyptian president can come here, or go to hell."

 

Lieberman also threatened to bomb the Aswan Dam. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit recently said in response that "Lieberman's foot will not step on Egyptian soil."

 

Israel views its relations with Egypt as a strategic asset and is interested in strengthening the ties in order to fight Iran and its branches – Hizbullah and Hamas – and the arms smuggling into Gaza.

 

Cairo and Jerusalem are both interested in fighting radical Islam, as Egypt fears the strengthening of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and the Iranian influence in the country. Suleiman's visit is aimed at expanding the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.22.09, 07:20
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