Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr looks on during a meeting with
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton at the Egyptian Foreign
Ministry in Cairo on Sept. 12, 2011. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton at the Egyptian Foreign
Ministry in Cairo on Sept. 12, 2011. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- Egyptian interim Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr on Saturday said the Middle East Quartet had failed to make progress to end Israel's occupation of Palestine.
In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Amr said Egypt "was, and will remain, committed to the goal of achieving just and comprehensive peace that it had initiated in the Middle East and will continue to actively support it.
"Egypt will carry on its efforts to end the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory and to reach a solution to all the final status issues in a specific, agreed upon and internationally guaranteed time frame," said Amr.
But he said the Quartet of Middle East negotiators -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- had failed to make progress.
The Quartet issued a statement Friday calling on Palestinians and Israel to resume direct peace talks within a month and commit to seeking a deal by the end of 2012. The proposal did not mention a settlement freeze.
"We have witnessed yesterday (Friday) another failure by the Quartet to come up with a balanced vision to achieve the goal that we all know and approve of yet differ on how to realize it," he added.
Egypt's military rulers, under pressure to hand power back to civilians after taking over from toppled President Hosni Mubarak, must balance public calls for a more assertive policy toward Israel with maintaining ties that bring it cash and US military hardware.
"It has become totally absurd to carry on talking about a peace process while Israel continues, with total comfort and complete disregard to the objections of the countries of the world, constructing settlements on the Palestinian territories in the West Bank, its alteration of the features of the occupied East Jerusalem, its use of violence against civilians and its blockade of Gaza in violation of international legitimacy and the provisions of international law," he said.
"Anyone with a sense of fairness following the situation would see in Israel's action the embodiment of its continuing evasion from admitting that the only way to achieve its security is through reaching a just settlement with the Palestinians," he added.
Earlier this month, violence erupted outside of the Israeli mission in Cairo that pushed Israel to evacuate its ambassador from the city. Police and soldiers fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Three people died in the violence and 1,049 were wounded in the violence, Egypt's health ministry said.
It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month when Israel repelled cross-border raiders it said were Palestinians. Egypt then briefly threatened to withdraw its envoy to Israel.
Israel has stopped short of apologizing, saying it is still investigating the Egyptian deaths, which occurred during an operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis.
Israel is finding itself increasingly at odds with formerly sympathetic states in the region. It is embroiled in a feud with Turkey, once the closest of its few Muslim allies, over an Israeli raid last year that killed nine Turks on a flotilla bound for Gaza.
Egypt's ties with Israel, though never warm, were a pillar of Mubarak's foreign policy and buttressed his claim to be a regional mediator. Under Mubarak, displays of hostility to Israel were crushed by force.
On Syria, Amr said Egypt believed dialogue and an end to the violence was the only solution to the crisis.
"Many Egyptians follow apprehensively the serious developments taking place in the brotherly state of Syria and the ensuing loss of lives and sufferings endured by our brothers and sisters there. I would like to reiterate today the position previously expressed by Egypt that the only solution to the crisis in Syria lies in putting an end to the violence and engaging in a serious dialogue among all parties in a climate of political openness," he said.
Syrian President Bashar Assad's military crackdown has killed at least 2,700 people, according to the United Nations. Experts say the economic sanctions are beginning to take a toll on the economy.
In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Amr said Egypt "was, and will remain, committed to the goal of achieving just and comprehensive peace that it had initiated in the Middle East and will continue to actively support it.
"Egypt will carry on its efforts to end the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory and to reach a solution to all the final status issues in a specific, agreed upon and internationally guaranteed time frame," said Amr.
But he said the Quartet of Middle East negotiators -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- had failed to make progress.
The Quartet issued a statement Friday calling on Palestinians and Israel to resume direct peace talks within a month and commit to seeking a deal by the end of 2012. The proposal did not mention a settlement freeze.
"We have witnessed yesterday (Friday) another failure by the Quartet to come up with a balanced vision to achieve the goal that we all know and approve of yet differ on how to realize it," he added.
Egypt's military rulers, under pressure to hand power back to civilians after taking over from toppled President Hosni Mubarak, must balance public calls for a more assertive policy toward Israel with maintaining ties that bring it cash and US military hardware.
"It has become totally absurd to carry on talking about a peace process while Israel continues, with total comfort and complete disregard to the objections of the countries of the world, constructing settlements on the Palestinian territories in the West Bank, its alteration of the features of the occupied East Jerusalem, its use of violence against civilians and its blockade of Gaza in violation of international legitimacy and the provisions of international law," he said.
"Anyone with a sense of fairness following the situation would see in Israel's action the embodiment of its continuing evasion from admitting that the only way to achieve its security is through reaching a just settlement with the Palestinians," he added.
Earlier this month, violence erupted outside of the Israeli mission in Cairo that pushed Israel to evacuate its ambassador from the city. Police and soldiers fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Three people died in the violence and 1,049 were wounded in the violence, Egypt's health ministry said.
It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month when Israel repelled cross-border raiders it said were Palestinians. Egypt then briefly threatened to withdraw its envoy to Israel.
Israel has stopped short of apologizing, saying it is still investigating the Egyptian deaths, which occurred during an operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis.
Israel is finding itself increasingly at odds with formerly sympathetic states in the region. It is embroiled in a feud with Turkey, once the closest of its few Muslim allies, over an Israeli raid last year that killed nine Turks on a flotilla bound for Gaza.
Egypt's ties with Israel, though never warm, were a pillar of Mubarak's foreign policy and buttressed his claim to be a regional mediator. Under Mubarak, displays of hostility to Israel were crushed by force.
On Syria, Amr said Egypt believed dialogue and an end to the violence was the only solution to the crisis.
"Many Egyptians follow apprehensively the serious developments taking place in the brotherly state of Syria and the ensuing loss of lives and sufferings endured by our brothers and sisters there. I would like to reiterate today the position previously expressed by Egypt that the only solution to the crisis in Syria lies in putting an end to the violence and engaging in a serious dialogue among all parties in a climate of political openness," he said.
Syrian President Bashar Assad's military crackdown has killed at least 2,700 people, according to the United Nations. Experts say the economic sanctions are beginning to take a toll on the economy.
Maan News Agency
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