MUBARAK POSITIVE AFTER OLMERT MEETING; MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003300 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV IS EG SUBJECT: MUBARAK POSITIVE AFTER OLMERT MEETING; MFA DOWNPLAYS DESIRE TO VISIT ISRAEL Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION STUART JONES. REASONS: 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (U) President Mubarak gave positive comments following his November 20 meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He noted that the meeting falls on the 30th anniversary of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem, and said that it is time now for Egypt to push for peace. He was hopeful about the planned meeting in Annapolis, and expressed determination that it succeeed. He said that he would visit Israel if it would "solve the Palestinian problem." ¶2. (C) FM Aboul Gheit was also upbeat following the meeting, but downplayed Mubarak's comment on visiting Israel. He told us that Mubarak has long maintained he would travel to Israel to sign a peace agreement, and that he has said this in public several times previously, and that Mubarak has no current plans to travel to Israel. RICCIARDONE