EGYPT: JORDANIAN, EGYPTIAN AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS CALL ON ISRAEL TO STOP TAMPERING WITH THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM.

Record ID: 399881

  • Title: EGYPT: JORDANIAN, EGYPTIAN AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS CALL ON ISRAEL TO STOP TAMPERING WITH THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM.
  • Date: 5th July 1998
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 5, 1998)(RTV- ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/MV/PAN: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK, KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SEATED AROUND TABLE (4 SHOTS) 0.24 2. LV/PAN/GV/MV: MUBARAK, KING HUSSEIN AND ARAFAT SEATED WITH DELEGATIONS AROUND MEETING HALL (4 SHOTS) 0.48 3. MV/GV: MEDIA/ ALL THREE LEADERS AT MICROPHONE
  • Embargoed: 20th July 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
  • City:
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVABU0O4U2WAU68QWU7MAZQO0FY
  • Story Text: Jordanian, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders meeting in Cairo have called for Israel to stop tampering with the status of Jerusalem.

    Jordan's King Hussein joined Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in Cairo on Sunday (July 5) for their first such three-way meeting since September.

    "The leaders assert their absolute rejection of Judaising Jerusalem, which the Israeli government launched on June 21, 1998, and demand the abolition of such a project immediately and that no measures be taken to implement it on the ground," they said in a joint communique after the talks.

    Israel announced plans last month to expand the boundaries of Jerusalem into Israel proper and link it to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, angering Arabs who see Arab East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state.

    The communique said the three Arab leaders had discussed a U.S.plan under which Israel would withdraw its troops from another 13 percent of the West Bank in return for Palestinian security measures against militants.

    Israel has been resisting the proposal, which the Palestinians have accepted.

    King Hussein said he and his colleagues at the Cairo meeting wanted a clear response from the United States about the fate of the initiative, before deciding on a future course of action.

    "We agreed on asking the United States directly about its intentions in executing its initiative," he said.

    The United States, the king said, should declare what the Arab and Israeli responses had been to its proposal."After that we'll move, based on what happened," he told the joint news conference.

    Mubarak expressed anxiety about the dangers arising from the current deadlock in peace talks."We fear that if the situation continues...violence will erupt," he said.

    "I hope the Israeli government will realise this because if this danger starts it will be difficult to control," he said.

    The 90-minute talks focused on the 16-month-old impasse in peace talks, the Jerusalem issue and Thursday's standoff between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian police in Gaza.

    Mubarak described the standoff as "very dangerous" and said it undermined confidence in peace efforts.

    "The peace process must continue.Former agreements must be respected or else the consequences will be grave," he added.

    The Egyptian leader criticised Israel's plans for Jerusalem as "playing with fire", adding that the city's status must be left to final negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

    Arafat said Jerusalem was a universal issue."The status of Jerusalem affects the Arabs, the Moslems, the Christians and everyone in the world.Peace does not only benefit the Palestinians, Arabs or Israelis, but the whole world," he said.

    King Hussein stressed the sensitivity of Jerusalem, saying it was "one of the most dangerous and most important" issues.

    "Our relationship to Jerusalem means it is our duty...to stand against what's happened and stand against any change or alterations on the ground," he said.

    "We consider setting up a Palestinian state on Palestinian territory with Jerusalem as its capital as one of our main demands," the king declared.
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