Defense Minister Ehud Barak traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, holding separate meetings with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Intelligence General Omar Suleiman.

According to reports, much of the time was used to focus on renewing the diplomatic process between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority). Negotiations for a prisoner release deal with Hamas towards obtaining the release of Gilad Shalit was also on the agenda, as was the growing Iranian nuclear threat. The senior officials also discussed “matters of interest to both countries”.

Barak’s aides described the talks as “in-depth, productive and in a good atmosphere”. Accompanying Barak was Yitzchak Molcho, who serves as a close advisor and special envoy of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Of significance, beyond the standard vague ambiguous statements, is the fact that reports following the meetings indicate the visiting Israeli officials secretly told Mubarak that if he succeeds in bringing PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) back to the negotiating table, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is willing to conduct talks on the premise Israel will withdraw to the pre-1967 boundaries and Israel will be willing to negotiate the future status of Yerushalayim.

Barak and Mubarak discussed the possibility of resuming talks with the PA where they broke off during the Olmert administration, which according to Mubarak would demand defining the borders of the new State of Palestine and moving ahead towards the final status agreement. This would entail a Palestinian state in Yehuda and Shomron with Jerusalem serving as its capital. It appears there was agreement and Mubarak according to reports is optimistic, that he will entice Abu Mazen into returning to talks with the knowledge the defined borders of the new state will be resolved.

According to Yediot, Barak was also sent to calm Mubarak, who met earlier in the week with Lebanese President Sa’ad Hariri, who informed him that Israel was indeed planning an offensive against Lebanon. Barak assured Mubarak that simply is not so, and Israel has no plans to attack either Lebanon or Syria.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)