President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, addressing the European Parliament here today, took a tough stance on Middle East issues. He called for an international conference with participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and stressed several times in his speech to the 21-nation assembly that in his view, the PLO is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
His speech contained no references to the peace process with Israel or to his predecessor, the late President Anwar Sadat, who initiated it in 1977. It was broadcast live over Egyptian Radio.
Egyptian officials here refused to comment on press reports that Mubarak had been scheduled to meet with Israeli Premier Shimon Peres, who is presently visiting West Germany. They were also mum on the meeting Mubarak held in Cairo Sunday with Ezer Weizman, a member of Peres’ Cabinet.
In his address, Mubarak said Western Europe could and should play an active role in helping prepare an international peace conference on the Middle East. He said the conference should be convened without preconditions and should be based “on the equality of rights between the two sides and the necessity to establish an equilibrium between Israel’s right to exist and the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”
Mubarak also called for an international conference on means to combat terrorism. He urged the international community to adopt stringent laws on the subject. But he condemned as “a grave mistake the tendency of accusing the Palestinian people of terrorism or to accuse certain religious sects.” He was apparently referring to the Shiite Moslems, who are believed responsible for most of the terrorist acts connected with the ongoing crisis in Lebanon.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
