Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be meeting in Egypt on Monday with President Hosni Mubarak, seeking to expand Israel’s coalition against Iran to include moderate Arab nations. This is the prime minister’s first visit to Egypt in his current tenure, and he will seek to bring Egypt on board as he hopes to establish a coalition against Iran.
 
The prime minister will address the stalled talks with Hamas towards obtaining Gilad Shalit’s release, as well as Egypt’s obligation to halt weapons smuggling into Gaza.
 
Netanyahu is working to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II this week as well, hoping to gain his approval for the anti-Iranian effort, which would permit him to present his coalition to President Barak Obama next week during his first visit to the White House since assuming office.
 
Israel is working to persuade the White House that the current sanctions against Iran are not enough to halt the ongoing nuclear enrichment program, calling for stepping up sanctions and taking harsher measures to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear independence, which would present an existential threat to Israel as well as a major threat to moderate Arab states in the region as well as American interests and bases.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)