Middle East in Search of Partners

Egypt and Israel pursue a new initiative for a settlement

The visit was shrouded in deepest secrecy, its details known only to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and a few top , officials. Early last week, Osama el Baz, Mubarak's closest adviser, boarded a helicopter in Cairo and flew to the Egyptian border. He was driven to Jerusalem, where he went directly to Peres' house. At the same time, Peres, who had been attending a Labor Party meeting, announced that he was not feeling well and left for his home. There the two men met for nearly five hours before el Baz slipped out of the back...

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