 |
|
Angry demonstrations in Egypt have criticized weak reactions from Arab governments |
CAIRO,
April 4 (News Agencies) - Egypt has decided to scale down contacts
with Israel apart from "diplomatic channels which serve the
Palestinian cause," Information Minister Safwat Al-Sherif said
Wednesday, April 3, news agencies reported.
"The
Egyptian government has decided to suspend all contacts with the
Israeli government except for diplomatic channels which serve the
Palestinian cause," Sherif told the state-run news agency MENA.
Sherif
did not specify what contacts would stop and no official explanation
was immediately available, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Egypt's
announcement appeared to be symbolic at a time when Israel broadens
its offensive against the Palestinian territories and Egyptians take
to the streets to demand tougher Arab action against the Jewish state.
The
United States reacted by calling on Egypt - which in 1979 became the
first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel - and Israel to
maintain the "closest possible contacts."
Trade
between Egypt and Israel is limited, except for oil and gas exports to
the Jewish state, but such exports will not be affected by the
decision, a source close to the government said.
A
spokesman at the Israeli embassy said that there are frequent rumors
in the Egyptian news media that Cairo will take measures against
Israel, "but until now we haven't been informed officially"
of any steps, AFP reported.
Large
protests have called all week for a break in diplomatic ties and the
expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, but Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak, quoted by Sherif, implicitly excluded acting on these calls.
"Egypt
places the greater interests of its people above any other
consideration and takes its stands based on these interests, removed
from emotions," Mubarak was quoted as saying.
Egypt
"fully supports international steps" aimed at stopping
Israel from using military force, he said.
The
Egyptian head of state urged hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon to rethink his policies and "stop these barbarous and
savage acts against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian
people."
Egypt
recalled its own ambassador, Mohammed Bassiouni, from Tel Aviv in
November 2000, charging that Israel was using excessive force to crush
the Palestinian uprising that erupted two months earlier.
Cairo
said the ambassador would return if and when Israel resumed peace
negotiations.
The
U.S. State Department had no direct comment on the Egyptian decision,
but a spokeswoman said Washington believed that close ties between the
two countries were vital for the prospects of Middle East peace.
"As
a general principle, at this sensitive time, we believe that dialogue
is important and we encourage Egypt and Israel to maintain the closest
possible contacts," the spokeswoman, Susan Pittman, told AFP.
More
demonstrations were held in Egypt on Wednesday, April 3, to protest
against Israel's fierce six-day reoccupation of West Bank areas, as
well as the significant backing given the Jewish state by Washington.
Most
of the demonstrations have been peaceful, although protests at Cairo
University on Monday and Tuesday turned violent as riot police tried
to stop a march on the nearby Israeli embassy.
