Israeli President Shimon Peres is scheduled to visit Egypt on Thursday for a meeting with his hosting counterpart Hosni Mubarak, a move that is expected to highlight Israel's efforts to broaden its peace engagement with the Arab world.
At the summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the two leaders will "discuss, inter alia, advancing the peace process between Israel and its neighbors, strengthening ties between Israel and Egypt" and "a variety of other state and security issues," said Peres' office in a statement.
In a more explicit manner, local daily Ha'aretz reported Wednesday that Peres is expected to present Mubarak with his proposal for reforming the way Israel and its Arab neighbors negotiate peace agreements.
The president, added the report, is cooperating with Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to formulate a pattern, under which Israel would negotiate with representatives of all Arab countries in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative.
Meanwhile, quoting Israeli diplomatic sources, another local newspaper The Jerusalem Post also reported on Wednesday that the Saudi-proposed plan, approved by the Arab League in 2002, was likely to be a primary focus of the talks between Peres and Mubarak.
Egypt is the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, followed by Jordan. The two nations usually function as a bridge between the Jewish state and the Arab world.
The Saudi initiative, which Arab foreign ministers re-endorsed in March, calls for Israel's pullout from all Arab territories it captured in the 1967 Middle East War and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in return for the normalization of Arab-Israeli ties.
The Jewish state initially rejected the set of guidelines, yet since early last year Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other officials have repeatedly referred to the plan, although with some reservations, saying that it contains interesting elements and could serve as the basis for negotiation with Arab states.
Speaking at the United Nations in September, Peres called on Saudi Arabia to "further" the 2002 land-for-peace plan, and pledged that Israel would attend any venue to end the decades-long conflict with its Arab neighbors.
In response to Peres' interest in pursuing comprehensive peace, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal was quoted as saying that such efforts are welcome and "better late than never."
Although Peres, whose presidential role is mainly ceremonial, lacks official authority in Israel's peace efforts, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate enjoys high reputation at home and abroad.
On the other hand, some opined that Peres' Sinai trip comes against the backdrop of an outgoing Olmert, who currently serves as caretaker premier, and a busy Livni, who is trying to cobble together a new cabinet.
Despite the transitional chaos, Israeli leaders, including the woman premier-designate, have been discussing the Saudi proposal seriously, said Barak earlier this week.
Touching on Israel's interest in pursuing an overall peace with the Arab states, he told Army Radio that his country has "interests in common with moderate Arab elements" on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions and reining in the influence of radical Islamic groups in the region.
The largely dormant Arab Peace Initiative comes to itself and begins gathering steam as Israel's separate peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria are coming to a swamp and losing momentum.
In late November last year, Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to reach a comprehensive peace deal within 2008. Yet little tangible achievements have since been announced, and enthusiasm for the ambitious goal has been fading away.
On the Syrian track, four rounds of indirect negotiations have been conducted via Turkey, while the fifth round has been repeatedly postponed due to the current volatile internal politics in Israel.
Palestinian officials expressed mixed feelings over Israel's pursuit of overall peace efforts. Responding to Barak's remarks, Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, warned that Israel may evade its commitments in peace talks with the Palestinians by calling for regional peace.
However, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat encouraged Israel to pursue the process, saying that advancing the pan-Arab track did not necessarily jeopardize the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Olmert are set to meet on Monday for another regular tet-a-tet, in what is widely seen as their last-ditch efforts to push forward the Annapolis process as the remaining days are numbered.
Source:Xinhua
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