Barak talks peace in Egypt

Israel wants Egyptian pressure on Arafat

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, is having talks in Egypt with President Mubarak - his first trip outside Israel since he returned from the failed Camp David peace summit last week.

He was expected to brief Mr Mubarak on negotiations about the issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

Egypt can play a role in restarting the negotiations with the Palestinians

Israeli official

Mr Barak's visit comes a day after the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, had talks in Egypt as part of a campaign to gather international support for his negotiating stance at Camp David.

Since returning from the United States, Mr Barak has suffered a number of political setbacks, including the resignation on Wednesday of his Foreign Minister, David Levy, and moves in parliament to call early elections.

'Second stage'

"Egypt can play a role in restarting the negotiations with the Palestinians as it did before in Sharm al-Sheikh," a top Israeli official told journalists in the plane flying Mr Barak to Israel.

He was referring to the Israeli-Palestinian summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort in September 1999.

Jerusalem is sacred to Christian, Muslims and Jews

Egypt's ambassador to Israel, Mohammed Basyuni, told journalists at Alexandria airport that "there should be a second stage after Camp David" but did not elaborate.

The Israeli media say Mr Barak is hoping Egypt will bring pressure to bear on Mr Arafat to accept Israeli compromises put forward at Camp David, particularly the offer of Palestinian sovereignty over parts of east Jerusalem.

According to a senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, Mr Arafat told US President Bill Clinton he would not "go down in history as having sold Jerusalem."

Meanwhile leaders of Mr Barak's Labour Party took to the airwaves to deny reports they were plotting to oust Mr Barak if he fails to reach agreement with Mr Arafat.

Challenge

"The moment we're going forward with a peace process, everyone will give him support," senior Labour Party member Uzi Baram told Israel Radio.

"I had more than doubts and criticism for Barak during his term, but from the moment the peace process reached a certain point, like many others, I took my place with him," Mr Baram said.

Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami also played down speculation that he might challenge Mr Barak.

"Leaving the prime minister alone in this battle is the last thing I'm thinking of today," Mr Ben-Ami told Israel Radio.

"I will co-operate with Barak the whole way."