Egypt, Israel Seeking Compromise Arrangement for Mubarak’s Visit

Israel and Egypt appeared today to have found a way to resolve a boundary dispute and may be working for a compromise arrangement over President Hasni Mubarak’s projected visit to Israel. The visit “will be on,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Kamal Hassan Ali told reporters after a two-hour meeting with Premier Menachem Begin which he described as “friendly and cordial.”

Hassan Ali brought Begin a message from Muborak which, according to Israeli sources, expressed a desire to go ahead with his visit. Begin was quoted as calling the Egyptian President’s letter “very friendly.” Mubarak was to have come to Israel this month but refused to include Jerusalem on his itinerary because of repercussions in the Arab world. The Israeli government has taken the position that he must visit Jerusalem or not come at all.

Hassan Ali said today that Mubarak referred to the visit in his message to Begin and that its timing and itinerary would be “discussed and decided later.” He did not say how the Jerusalem dispute might be resolved but indicated that the visit probably would not take place before April 25 when Israel completes its withdrawal from Sinai. The 25th of April is “not a target date for anything,” Hassan Ali said in reply to a reporter’s question.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier is here for high-level talks with Israeli officials on normalization of relations between the two countries and to try to settle outstanding problems related to the withdrawal from Sinai. One issue is the old international boundary line between Sinai and Israel which is in dispute at several paints along its 143-mile length. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon said today that the differences over the border in the Taba region near Eilat “will be solved.” He spoke after Hassan All and his party met with Begin and top Israeli policy-makers. Israel Radio reported later that a “way” had been found to reconcile the differences and would be disclosed in a joint statement to be issued before Hassan Ali returns to Egypt tomorrow.

The border dispute at Taba involves some 600 yards of territory. It is important because the way it is solved will determine whether a resort hotel complex will be on the Israeli or Egyptian side of the line.

Hassan Ali told reporters after his meeting with Begin that “technical differences of points of view” still remained on several matters and would be the subject of furtherdiscussion. He and Sharon chaired a meeting of the Israel-Egypt Joint High Commission on normalization today. The Egyptian minister also met separately with Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Interior Minister Yosef Burg. Burg heads Israel’s autonomy negotiating team. Hassan Ali told reporters that both sides have “agreed to give new momentum to the autonomy talks in the hear future.”