By Samer Khuwayera , IOL Palestine Correspondent

GAZA CITY, February 27 (IslamOnline.net) – A number of prominent Palestinian figures called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak not to meet with hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, following news on an expected meeting between them next week.

Speaking to IslamOnline Thursday, February 27, Abd al-Sattar Qasem, a professor of political sciences at Al-Nagah University in Nablus, said the meeting violates the resolutions taken by previous Arab summits and only suits fine the normalization between both countries at the time Israeli tanks are wreaking havoc on Palestinians.

“Although Mubarak has not met Sharon since he assumed power in Israel, he frequently dispatched his envoys to meet with Sharon and hold talks with a number of Palestinian officials,” Qasem recalled.

He said most Arab leaders are keen on easing tensions, since they are fully aware that any aggravation of the situation in Iraq and Palestine would definitely destabilize the entire region, particularly Egypt.

“The meeting between Mubarak and Sharon will end up with a press conference where they are going to say that there are some differences on a number of issues.

“But this, in effect, does not reflect the essence of talks since there is no big difference between their perspectives given that they are on board vis-à-vis the general principles and only differ on details,” Qasem said.

Nafiz Azzam, a leading figure of the Islamic Jihad, said the meeting will not result in any crucial outcome on the tragedy suffered by the Palestinians.

“Arab leaders would better support the Palestinians and sever all political and economic relations with the Israelis, who occupy our land, kill our children and women and do not abide by international legitimacy,” he stressed.

Azzam said Israel wants to exploit its good relations with some Arab countries to beautify its already tattered image in the eyes of the world and paper over its incessant aggressions on the Palestinian people, who do not pin much hope on such meetings, which always prove futile.

Shaking Hands with a Terrorist

Isamil Hannia, of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, said the movement sees no benefit whatsoever out of such a meeting with terrorist Sharon, better known for his criminal record against the unarmed Palestinians.

Hannia said there is no justification for President Mubarak to shake the blood-stained hands of Sharon, who commits massacres against the Palestinians day in and day out.

“We made it clear that our Arab regimes should boycott the Israeli enemy politically and economically and support the Palestinian people in their uphill struggle to win back their usurped legitimate rights,” said Hannia.

On the expected outcome of the meeting, the Hamas official said he does not expect any result that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians, hoping that Egypt would give Sharon’s visit second thoughts.

He added that this meeting will only play into the hands of Sharon, who will try to appear as a man of peace, pointing out that Israel would take advantage of the Arab and Islamic silence and the looming U.S.-led war on Iraq to kill as much as it could of innocent Palestinians.

On Wednesday, February 27, the Israeli television said Sharon was expected to meet Mubarak next week in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm Al-Sheikh.

The television also said Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz would meet with his Egyptian counterpart Mohmmed Hussein Tantwai, but gave no further details.