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Israeli-Palestinian talks must resume

Egyptian president says Israeli-Palestinian talks, suspended in September over illegal settlements in the occupied territories, should resume before Israel builds on all Palestinian land.

Hosni Mubarak’s remarks come despite Israel having passed a bill into law recently that conditions the restoration of any occupied land to its Arab owners on the approval of Israeli parliamentarians or a referendum.

The law affects the Palestinian territory of East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Syria’s Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel in 1967, as well as the other territories which Tel Aviv has claimed as its own through occupation.

The Egyptian president in his talks with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Gudaibiya Palace in Manama, Bahrain, on Thursday, stressed the need to re-launch the stalled talks, warning that failure would lead to more Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian land.

He also indicated that Egypt respects the Palestinians’ will and cooperates with the GCC to provide them with constructive advice.

“When the time comes to establish a Palestinian state, there will be no land. And then terrorism will spread across the world against Israel and those who support the Israeli position,” Mubarak said.

Palestinians insist that for direct talks, which started on September 2 only to stumble to a halt three weeks later, to resume, Israel must cease all illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel is currently mulling plans for a fresh 90-day ban on West Bank settlement building in return for a US package of political and military benefits.

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