Michael de Laine

By Michael de Laine, The Copenhagen Voice, 1 September 2009

Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt says the peaceful relations between Israel and Egypt show that peace in the Middle East is possible. Last week, Bildt met his Egyptian colleague, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who sees Israeli settlements as the greatest barrier to peace.

Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt says that the peace that has existed between Israel and Egypt since the two countries signed the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in Washington DC following the 1979 Camp David Accords shows that peace in the Middle East is possible, but reaching peace requires compromises.

On 28 August, Bildt met with his Egyptian colleague, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who sees Israeli settlements as the greatest barrier to peace.

According to a report from the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, the two foreign ministers discussed the peace process on the Middle East - a matter of importance to both Egypt and, because the EU is part of the ‘quartet’ working towards peace in the region - to the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.

A pause in both the construction of new Israeli settlements and the expansion of existing settlements in the Palestinian areas, including East Jerusalem, is a condition for peace talks, said Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.

“Israel must be ready to temporarily stop building new settlements,” he said. “A six-month moratorium would give scope and calm for six months of negotiations.”

Whether the Israeli government would accede to the Egyptian call is unclear, but Carl Bildt felt that negotiations rest on a feeling of commitment shared by all involved parties.

“Remember that many of the conflicts in the Middle East were previously between Israel and Egypt,” Bildt said. “Now they are at peace. This shows that peace is possible, but it does require compromises.”

Aboul-Gheit placed the burden of convincing the Israeli government to stop settlements on the US administration. Ending the settlements would pave the way for making a two-state solution a success.

“We must move from the situation with an ‘occupier’ and an ‘occupant’,” the Egyptian Foreign Minister said.