U.S. and Egypt Push for Progress on Mideast Peace

Aug. 18, 2009— -- The Obama administration continued its early push for progress on Middle East peace today when President Obama met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House. Mubarak had hoped to visit Washington earlier this year, but canceled his trip after the death of his grandson.

The two leaders discussed how Arab countries and Israel can take steps that could pave the way for peace talks. There is, however, deep distrust on both sides, and neither party wants to jump first without assurances from the other that they will reciprocate.

"My hope is that we are going to see not just movement from the Israelis but also from the Palestinians, around issues of incitement and security, from Arab States that show their willingness to engage Israel," Obama told reporters after the meeting when asked about Israeli willingness to halt settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem that has been a thorn in the side of negotiations.

The Egyptian president urged immediate action from all sides, echoing similar comments from other Arab leaders in urging the US to push for more concrete talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

"This issue has been ongoing 60 years, and we cannot afford wasting more time, because violence will increase," Mubarak warned.

President Obama's Middle East Peace envoy George Mitchell is expected to present a plan next month on how get the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table, according to US, Israeli, and Arab officials. The plan is expected to be unveiled after Mitchell meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in London later this month. During that meeting the two sides are expected to agree to a time period during which Israel would freeze settlement activity.