Solon Warns That Mideast Peace Process Will Not Progress Without a Strong Mubarak Government

Senator Richard Lugar (R. Ind.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said here last night that the Mideast “peace process will not progress without a strong Mubarak government” in Egypt — giving the U.S. a “big stake” in understanding its current political and economic problems.

Lugar spoke at a dinner where 600 political, civic, business, and religious leaders, including over 30 members of the diplomatic corps, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an organization dedicated to worldwide religious freedom.

In his brief address to the dinner guests — and an even briefer news conference preceding it — Lugar stressed that the Mideast peace process is “a very precious thing for the U.S. and the world,” and that this is “a crucial time” for the peace process the U.S., and for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

U.S. policy, he said, has been to “move toward direct negotiations between Israel and Jordan.” He indicated that because Egypt plays a key role in advancing this vital aspect of the peace process, the U.S. has a lot at stake in “understanding the problems” Egypt has at present.

Lugar’s comments came against a backdrop of week-long anti-American and anti-Israel demonstration in Cairo following the U.S. interception of the Egyptian plan carrying the four hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise-ship out of the country. Mubarak subse- quently called for a U.S. apology for this action. President Reagan said he would “never” apologize. Lugar told reporters he agreed with Reagan that it was “inappropriate” for Egypt to ask for such an apology. The U.S. needs, he said, “to state more clearly our views on terrorism.” At the same time, he stressed that he hoped the call by some American legislators for a reduction in aid to Egypt “will not be debated seriously.”

Stressing that “Mubarak has been our friend” and “a friend of Israel,” Lugar added that he “hopes our debate would center on building bridges with moderate Arab states.” The main thing now was to “get on” with talking about the peace process.

Lugar’s address indicated his impression that some progress had been made in this process in the past year. “It’s a time in which a government in Israel, a government in Egypt, a government in Jordan, in various ways are reaching out to try to say … there is something important about the warming-up of the Egypt-Israel relationship.”

Both Israel and Egypt, he continued, “have taken risks for peace with Jordan.” What the U.S. seeks, he told reporters, is to have Hussein brought into the peace process.

The Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S., EI Sayed Abdel Raouf EI Reedy, and the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Ahmed Tawfik Khalil, did not attend the dinner, as originally intended. Diplomatic representatives from 22 other countries — including the Soviet Union, China, Hungary, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Uganda, and Greece were official guests. In the audience, as a last-minute guest of a representative of Chase Manhattan Bank, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Sahabzada Yaqub Khan.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, presented its “Man of Conscience” Award at the dinner to Giovanni Agnelli, Chairman of the Fiat conglomerate. Senator Edward Kennedy, (D. Mass.) spoke briefly, as did New York Mayor Edward Koch.