Netanyahu: I'll meet with Mubarak next week
Prime minister addresses Likud activists in Tel Aviv, says he hopes to resume peace talks with Palestinians as early as next week. 'On Monday I will travel to Egypt to meet with President Mubarak, who is doing a lot to renew peace,' he reveals
Speaking at a Likud Central Committee meeting in Tel Aviv's Exhibition Grounds, the prime minister said he was happy to hear of the decision made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to renew peace negotiations with Israel, and expressed his hope that it would happen as soon as next week.
"We are not against peace, but in favor of peace. We seek real peace in which we work on Israeli interests, on reciprocity, on a solution to the right of return, on recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, and we demand negotiations without preconditions," Netanyahu said.
"We have been calling for the renewal of the talks for the past year," he added. "On Monday I will travel to Egypt to meet with President Mubarak, who is doing a lot to renew peace. We are committed to a real peace process."
'Feiglin a marginal, extreme minority'
Most of the conference was dedicated to the internal Likud struggle led by Netanyahu against the supporters of party hardliner Moshe Feiglin.
He reiterated the message that "the last thing we need right now is to enter an internal battle inside the Likud. We must not divert our attention from handling the State's problems."
'Entire world knows we're protecting Jerusalem' (Photo: Shaul Golan)
Netanyahu said he would like to convene the Likud's Central Committee in 20 months. "Unfortunately," he added, "there is a marginal, extreme minority which does not want this, which is trying to frighten elected representatives and choose a way which is alien to us and does not represent the Likud.
"We are not a radical, messianic movement, but a national, liberal movement. We do not support refusing orders and do not oppose the rule of law. There is a marginal, extreme movement trying to shatter the unity and preach to me and to (Ministers) Benny Begin and (Moshe) Bogie Yaalon.
"They are telling us, you are not protecting Jerusalem. The entire world knows exactly how much we are protecting Jerusalem. Soon they will try to teach us about heritage sites, about the Bible," the prime minister said.
Begin and Yaalon expressed their full support for Netanyahu, and the prime minister's aides praised the move and their presence in the event.
"These are key figures in the political battle, who will help gain the support of two thirds of the Central Committee members who will convene on Thursday," one of the associates said. "We must take 100 to 200 people to support the prime minister in order to win this battle, and therefore Bogie and Begin's presence is very significant against Feiglin."
Reuters contributed to this report
