Israel is trying to run before it can walk in its pursuit of bilateral relations with Arab countries, writes Nevine Khalil A day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon signaled that Israel would continue to tighten its hold on Palestinian land his Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom was in Egypt soliciting Cairo's help in improving Tel Aviv's ties with Arab capitals. Shalom's talks with President Hosni Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and Chief of Intelligence Omar Suleiman on Tuesday came in advance of Israel's anticipated withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in July and the security vacuum that may follow. During their 90-minute meeting Shalom urged Mubarak to help Israel improve its relations with the Arab world and to pressure the Palestinians to take stronger action against militants. "Israel and Egypt have much to gain from enhancing the relationship between Israel and its Middle East neighbours," Shalom told reporters after the meeting. "This is why I believe it's important to launch a new roadmap to promote Israel's relations with the Arab world." The new roadmap, he said, would aim at "full diplomatic relations and full normalisation between Israel and the Arab world". Israel, he added, "looks to Egypt to cooperate in promoting this vision". Last month's Arab summit in Algeria rejected a Jordanian proposal opening the door for normalisation with Israel before a final peace settlement is reached with the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Egyptian-Israeli relations, which had been cool since the incumbent Likud government came to power, have shown recent signs of warming following Egypt's hosting of a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in February to relaunch Palestinian-Israeli talks. In the wake of the summit Egypt returned its ambassador to Tel Aviv after over four years of diplomatic hiatus. In December Egypt, the US and Israel signed a QIZ agreement giving Egyptian products free access to the US market provided they contain an 11 per cent Israeli input. Shalom was keen to attribute improved relations to an "Egyptian strategic decision". But according to Abul- Gheit it was "the Israeli decision to fully withdraw from Gaza and fully evacuate settlements there" that has led to Egypt pursuing a more interactive policy vis-�- vis Israel. How responsive Cairo will be to Israel's soliciting for better ties with Arab countries remains to be seen, especially given the difficulty of selling such a move to regional and domestic public opinion. Two days before Mubarak met with Shalom 4,000 university students protested on campuses against a rally organised by ultra-orthodox Jews at Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem. At Alexandria University on Sunday 3,000 students burned Stars of David, shouted anti- Israeli slogans, called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Cairo and an end to normalisation with Israel. On the same day, around 1,000 students at Cairo University marched after midday prayers chanting "millions and millions of us will protect Jerusalem". On the official level Abul-Gheit said the collective Arab position is clear: normalisation will be offered in return for a just peace based on the formula of land- for-peace. "The Arab world is ready to go down the road of normalisation and building relations with Israel in exchange for a just and fair solution to the Palestinian issue," he said. At the same time, he added, individual countries could take advantage of improved Palestinian- Israeli relations to approach Israel. "The issue is left up to each country to decide as it sees fit." During his six-hour visit to Cairo Shalom also briefed officials on the US-Israeli summit a day earlier, following which Sharon told reporters Israel would keep large settlement blocs, such as Maale Adumim, in the West Bank. "The blocs will be part of Israel, with everything that entails," Sharon said. In Cairo, with Shalom by his side, Abul-Gheit called settlement expansion a "great threat" to peace, adding that "it is something that the international community, the roadmap, the US, as well as Egypt" condemns. Settlement building, he continued, "will halt the formation of a viable, independent Palestinian state". The talks also focused on the July pullout from Gaza by Israeli troops -- details of which were at the centre of Shalom's talks with Suleiman. Israel wants Egypt to provide security along its border with the Palestinian territories once its troops pull out from Gaza. "Israel welcomes Egyptian efforts thus far but additional steps must be taken to removes the fate of the process from the hands of the terrorists and put it back in the hands of the moderates," stated Shalom. Shalom repeated over and over that Israel is keen "to take the opportunities of the present time to make peace with the Palestinians". Egypt gave him a few pointers: "Let us apply the agreements reached at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit," said Abul-Gheit. "Let [Israel] do what it has to do: stop building more settlements; stop building the Israeli fence; release Palestinian prisoners; give a chance for the Palestinians to take a deep breath. Only these steps will open the way for real peace." Additional reporting Magda El-Ghitany
