Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today, reaffirming that Israel will seek a peace process with the Palestinians. Netanyahu stated that the renew of the peace process could occur as early as the coming weeks. The two leaders also discussed reconstruction efforts in Gaza and the partnership to reduce terrorism emanating from the Strip. Meanwhile, within the Palestinian Authority, PA President Mahmnoud Abbas ordered creation of a center-left government, excluding the radical terror group Hamas. The erection of a new government effectively ends, or at least further complicates, any additional reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas.
Jordanian King Abdullah also chimed in, urging a MidEast peace plan within the next two years, warning that another war could erupt if negotiations do not end in a deal. Abdullah urged leaders to ensure that upcoming meetings in Washington with President Obama would set the foundation for a a new peace process based on the Arab Peace Initiative that provides Israel with relations with Arab countries in exchange for a Palestinian state.
