CAIRO // Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said yesterday the "time is ripe" for renewing peace negotiations with the Palestinians before meeting the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo today, during which he plans to raise the issue.
"I hope we have reached the time to renew the peace process," the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Mr Netanyahu as telling diplomats gathered at the foreign ministry in Jerusalem. "The time for excuses is over. Now is the time for action."
Mr Netanyahu announced his visit to Cairo on Sunday, during the first anniversary of the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip. He said he had requested the meeting with Mr Mubarak after talks that Egypt's intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, held in Israel last week.
"I intend to continue this important dialogue," Mr Netanyahu said.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister, told a press conference in Cairo on Sunday: "We need a will from the Israeli side to put things in perspective concerning settlement, ie, a Palestinian state, which is an Egyptian, Arab, Palestinian and international demand on all the territories occupied in 1967.
"Some tell us why do you listen to him [Mr Netanyahu], just close the door and let him do what he's doing," continued Mr Aboul Gheit. "This is the easiest path, but it would lead to the loss of the Palestinian territories which he [Mr Netanyahu] considers to be perfect for him, as it allows him to build on Palestinian territories, impose his will on them, which would result in the loss of the Palestinian issue in the midst of the blind struggle among the Palestinian factions."
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have been suspended for the past year. The president, Mahmoud Abbas, has said talks could resume only if Israel halts all settlement construction on land it captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. He has rejected as insufficient a limited moratorium on new building in West Bank settlements that Mr Netanyahu imposed last month.
"I can tell you generally that Mr Netanyahu will discuss the Israeli Palestinian file with President Mubarak and how Egypt can provide better atmosphere in order to renew negotiations," Amira Aron, head of the Egypt department in the Israeli foreign ministry, said in an interview.
"Obviously, we're giving great importance to the role Egypt is playing," she added, saying that the two leaders will also discuss "security and military issues and what's going on in Gaza and at the border".
The "Shalit topic will be on the table," added Mrs Aron, referring to Gilad Shalit seized by Hamas during a raid into the Gaza Strip.
Egypt and Germany are mediating a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas under which the Islamist group, in charge of the territory, would release Sgt Shalit and Israel would free about 1,000 of the 11,000 Palestinians in its jails.
Two Gaza-based Hamas leaders, Mahmoud al Zahar and Khalil al Hayya, are today expected to travel to Syria via Egypt where they planned to discuss with Damascus-based Hamas leaders Israel's response to a proposed swap, a Hamas spokesman said.
Officials familiar with the negotiations said Israel has ruled out releasing a handful of Palestinian militants serving life sentences for orchestrating lethal attacks.
Israel, the officials said, was also intent on barring between 100 and 120 Palestinian prisoners from returning to the occupied West Bank and wants them to be sent to Gaza or abroad.
"At this stage there is no deal and it is not clear to me whether there will be one," a source present at Sunday's cabinet meeting quoted Mr Netanyahu as saying.
The Israeli prime minister last visited Egypt in September, meeting Mr Mubarak in his residence in Heliopolis, Cairo, where the Israeli leader pledged to pursue talks with the Palestinians.
This is the third meeting between the two leaders, as Mr Netanyahu visited Mr Mubarak at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in May.
Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, has been an active mediator trying to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
Mr Mubarak visited Israel only once, to attend the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister assassinated in 1995.
Email:nmagd@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Reuters
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Klipit%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venkat%20Reddy%2C%20Mohammed%20Al%20Bulooki%2C%20Bilal%20Merchant%2C%20Asif%20Ahmed%2C%20Ovais%20Merchant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digital%20receipts%2C%20finance%2C%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%2Fself-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)