Egypt's FM Equates 'Jewish State' to “Islamic Republic”

07/09/2010 Israel's demand to be recognized as a Jewish state is worrying, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the al-Arabiya television network.

"If the international community defines Israel as a Jewish state – such a decision should be approved by the UN," Aboul Gheit said.

In the interview, Aboul Gheit equated Israel's demand to Iran's decision to call itself the "Islamic Republic of Iran," saying, "Israel wants to call itself a Jewish or Hebrew state. This is worrying."

The Egyptian FM expressed concern about the fate of what he called “Israel's Arabs” should the UN approve a resolution defining Israel as a Jewish state. "Will they receive all the civil rights? Will they remain a minority or will they be expelled?" he said.

Turning his attention to the recently launched direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Aboul Gheit said, "The Israeli side decided to freeze settlement construction, and I called this decision disgraceful because (Israel had issued building) permits that allow continued construction for the next two or three years."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who attended last week's summit in Washington along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah, also urged Israel to extend the construction moratorium in the West Bank.

Mubarak said settlement building constituted a "violation of international law."

Enticing the PA to strike a deal with the Israelis, Aboul-Gheit said Palestinians could get up to $50 billion in compensation under a future peace agreement with Israel. He did not say how such deal would solve the issues of (Palsetinian refugees’) right of return and occupied Al-Quds.

Aboul-Gheit did not elaborate on where he had received that information, nor did he say who would supply the funds. He did say that the money – which he believes could total between $40 and $50 billion – would be designated toward building infrastructure in a nascent Palestinian state and to compensate those who lose land in an exchange with Israel.

"Arabs make up 20% of Israel's population," Aboul Gheit told Al-Arabiya. "What will happen when they're 30%, say in 25 years?"

Aboul-Gheit also denied during that interview that there was any "political significance" to reports that Netanyahu had met separately with Egyptian President Mubarak's son's Jamal, the latter's heir apparent. "That is a lie. This is not the first time that the president's son has accompanied him, and there is no political significance."

Source: Agencies

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