Israeli President Shimon Peres attends a
press conference after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in
Cairo, capital of Egypt, on July 7, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning) Photo Gallery>>>
CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli President Shimon
Peres said on Tuesday that the country's discussion about two-state solution
came to a conclusion and Israel would support the plan.
"Two states for two people, a state for the Israeli
Jewish people beside a state for the Palestinian Arab people," Peres said in a
joint press conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. As for
the Israeli plans in the future, Peres said Israel will make more efforts for
peace process.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
adresses a press conference after meeting with Israeli President Shimon
Peres in Presidential House in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on July 7, 2009.
(Xinhua/Zhang Ning) Photo Gallery>>>
"We have no intention to seize more Palestinian land
in the future, Israel has no intention to control the Arab people, or to add
more settlements," he said, adding "We don't have to waste this chance to
achieve peace in Middle East".
The United States has been pushing Israel to freeze
building all settlement, while the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said that Israel has the right to build within existing settlements to allow for
what is so called natural growth.
For his part, Mubarak said, "There is a good chance
to achieve peace in the Middle East according to the two-state solution and the
Arab Initiative."
As for the Israeli captive soldier Gilad Shalit held
in Gaza by Hamas movement, Mubarak said that he is in "good condition" and he
hopes the issue will be solved as soon as possible.
It has been exactly three years since the 22-year-old
Israeli corporal Shalit was abducted in a triple armed attack led by Hamas on an
Israeli army base just outside southeast Gaza Strip, while finalizing a
prisoners' swap deal with Israel to free him is still marking time.
The Islamic Hamas movement refused to confirm or deny
if the captive Israeli soldier is still alive.
Egypt has been trying to bridge the gaps between the
two sides in a bid to finalize a prisoners' exchange deal that makes both sides
satisfied. However, Israel and Hamas are still tenacious for their positions and
trade accusations that it seems they are not interested in closing this file.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R)
meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the Presidential House in
Cairo, capital of Egypt, on July 7, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning) Photo Gallery>>>
RAMALLAH, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas hinted on Monday that there is a possibility to resume the peace
negotiations with Israel, if the U.S. administration exerts pressure on Israel
to halt settlement activities.
Abbas made the remarks in a first interview aired on
al-Felastineya, a new Fatah movement satellite channel based in Amman. The
channel was recently inaugurated and is directed by Palestinian ambassador to
Cairo Nabil Amer. Full story
JERUSALEM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on
Sunday paid lip service for probably the first time in public to the
term of "two states for two peoples" regarding the historical peace
process with the Palestinians.
"For the first time we have reached a
national agreement on the two states for two peoples concept," local news
service Ynet quoted Netanyahu as saying at the start of Sunday's cabinet
meeting, while noting that the traditionally hawkish premier refrained in the
past from mentioning the term on public occasions.Full story
RAMALLAH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National
Authority (PNA) will not accept any scene of Jewish settlement on the
Palestinian territories under any solution, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
said Sunday.
"The settlement on any inch of our land is illegal at all
and it must be removed," Abbas told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Full story
