Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday criticized US President George W. Bush's endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan, saying it ignores UN resolutions and "tramples on the rights" of the Palestinians.
"These endorsements go against Security Council resolutions...and a UN General Assembly resolution," Mubarak said.
"A withdrawal in itself is a welcome move," Mubarak noted, but Bush's support for the plan "entailed assurances that deal with the issues of the final stages."
Mubarak made the comments in a televised speech on Sinai Liberation Day, which commemorates the 1982 completion of Israel's withdrawal from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula following a peace treaty between the two sides.
"These are crucial matters that concern not only the Palestinian problem, but also touch on the very essence of the peace process and chances of it success," Mubarak warned.
Mubarak called on the international community, especially the European Union, to intervene "in a way that does not violate the issues of the final settlement...without trying to force solutions from abroad on one side of the other."
Mubarak praised Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, saying it "opened the door for the correct way to build a just and comprehensive peace in the region, on the basis of international legality."
Mubarak also touched on the situation in Iraq, calling it an "unprecedented historical tragedy" that was the result of an occupation that was "unjustified and unsupported." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
