Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel on Sunday of being the cause of terrorism because of its refusal to carry out signed peace accords with the Palestinians, reported agencies, citing an interview.
"You are the cause of terrorism, even though Israel says it is the Palestinians," Mubarak said in an interview with Israeli public television.
Egypt was the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state after a string of Arab-Israeli wars.
According to The Economist, Israel has flouted the 1993 Oslo peace accords by settling tens of thousands of its citizens on Palestinian land conquered in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Asked if there was a difference between the suicide bomber who blew up Israelis and those behind the September 11 attacks on the United States, Mubarak refused to equate the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation with terrorism.
"You describe as terrorism (acts by) people who want to recover their land. We say that is not terrorism," he added.
The official Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA) quoted the president as saying that the establishment of a Palestinian state "is the best guarantee for security and stability for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, as well as peoples in the area.
Mubarak said he hoped the Israeli government would be committed to its pledges to lift the months-long siege of Palestinian towns and villages.
"This is an important step on the right path in order to activate recommendations of the Mitchell Commission and build confidence between parties," he added.
Israel pulled out of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron Monday morning – Albawaba.com
