Mubarak: Heritage sites decision dangerous
Prime Minister Netanyahu telephones Egyptian president, who tells him 'invasion of Temple Mount' hurts Arabs' sentiments, damaging peace efforts. Mubarak also urges Israel to lift blockade imposed on Gaza Strip, Egyptian television reports
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Tuesday telephoned Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who told him that his latest moves may have "dangerous implications", Egyptian television reported.
Ynet reported Tuesday of an official protest
submitted by Egypt
on the matter.
According to the report, Mubarak warned against "the dangerous implications of the invasion of the Temple Mount and of including the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb in the list of Jewish heritage sites, as well as similar unfit stands which hurt the sentiments of Arabs and Muslims and damage the peace efforts."
Opinion
Moshe Dann
Instead of renovating old heritage sites we should focus on building in present
The cabinet's last-minute decision to add the two sites, located in Hebron and near Bethlehem, to the heritage sites renovation plan, has sparked loud criticism across the Arab world, and has even been slammed by the United States.
Palestinian organizations have called for a third intifada, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned of a religious war. Hebron became the center of riots, which were followed on Sunday by a violent outburst at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Following the tensions, Netanyahu stressed several times that there was no change in the status quo and that the Muslim's freedom of ritual would be maintained fully.
According to Cairo's state television, the prime minister told Mubarak that his government expects to resume negotiations with the Palestinians without any delays and expects Egypt to continue supporting the peace efforts.
The Egyptian president stressed the need to prepare the right atmosphere for serious peace talks, as part of a defined time timetable. He also said that Israel must "halt its activity in the West Bank and lift the blockade imposed the Gaza Strip".
Netanyahu and Mubarak (archives)
Photo: AFP
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