Netanyahu to leave for Egypt next week
According to reports, PM, Mubarak to discuss Shalit deal, jumpstarting peace talks and Arab League chief Moussa's recent comments against normalization of ties with Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed Tuesday that the prime minister will apparently be leaving for Egypt at the beginning of next week to meet President Hosni Mubarak. It is possible that he will also meet with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman while there.
Netanyahu is expected to raise a number of different issues during his meeting, including jumpstarting peace talks with the Palestinians and the release of captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal visited Cairo on Saturday for talks on a possible prisoner exchange deal with Israel.
Mashaal told reporters in Cairo that there was "still not a short path to go" before the negotiations were completed.
The Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jareeda reported Tuesday that during his talks with Mubarak, the Israeli PM will discuss "recent developments" in the region, specifically Arab League secretary-General Amr Moussa's recent comments against the normalization of ties with Israel due to settlement construction in the West Bank.
Netanyahu will also ask Mubarak to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas into resuming the peace negotiations.
Al Jareeda quoted sources in Jerusalem as saying that Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman was initially scheduled to visit Israel, but it was later decided that Netanyahu would make the trip to Cairo instead.
The Israeli PM will be accompanied by Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor).
Since Shalit's kidnapping in 2006, Egypt has worked towards securing an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would see the IDF soldier released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Germany has recently entered the picture as a mediator.
Roni Sofer and Roee Nahmias contributed to the report
