The Palestinian question is the core of conflict in the Middle East and Egypt very much hopes for a peace deal by January 2009, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Wednesday during talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Mubarak told reporters he updated Bush on Egypt's position that "the Palestinian question, of course, is the core of problems and conflict in the Middle East, and it is the entry to contain the crisis and tension in the region, and the best means to face what's going on in the world, and our region - I mean by that, the escalation of violence, extremism and terrorism."
"I emphasized through our presentations the Egyptian situation, underscoring and supporting peace, and our aspirations that Mr. Bush follows up on negotiations between both Israeli and Palestinian sides, and also said that I wish to reach a peace agreement before the end of his term." During their talks, Bush prodded Mubarak to cede more freedom and applauded the work of journalists, bloggers and judges seeking independence from interference.
On the final stop of a long Middle East tour, Bush said that such civil society voices had taken the lead in promoting freedom in the Arab world's most populous country.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945370.html