The two leaders met in Aqaba, the Jordanian port city adjacent to Eilat, and warned that one-sided solutions will not help in promoting the peace process or regional stability. They said that Israel must negotiate not with Hamas, but with Abu Mazen, the leader of the Fatah organization.
Middle Eastern affairs expert Dr. David Bukai of Haifa University notes the irony, explaining that Egypt and Jordan are more aware of and concerned about the Hamas terror threat than Israel, whose leaders are "criminally" busy with their own problems.
Speaking with Arutz-7's Hebrew newsmagazine on Sunday, Bukai said that Egypt and Jordan feel that the rise of Hamas was enabled because of Israel's retreat from Gaza. "They fear that if Israel continues to withdraw, Hamas will get even stronger, and will become an even greater threat to Egypt and Jordan," he said.
"Jordan and Egypt are threatened by World Jihad terrorism no less than Israel," Bukai explained. "Bin Laden has appointed Musa Abu Zarkawi as the Amir [commander] not only of Iraq, but of the entire Middle East. Egypt is thus threatened by the Al-Qaeda terrorism emanating from Sinai - and this terror can easily reach Israel and Saudi Arabia as well. Jordan, too, knows that Abu Zarkawi - his name indicates that he is of Zarka in Jordan - is interested in taking over Jordan perhaps even more than he wants Iraq. That's why Egypt and Jordan feel threatened. The ties between World Jihad and Hamas are strong, and will become stronger; Hamas is the spearhead of Jihad in the region."
U.S. intelligence sources report that Zarkawi is engaged in establishing a small independent army in Iraq, with the help of Al-Qaeda and Iran.
Bukai said that the Israeli government is not following Egypt and Jordan in this regard, and "is not even following logic or what its citizens' welfare would dictate. The Israeli government is busy with its own issues, totally and completely detached from the existing strategic and political reality. They will only act out of their own understanding, and this understanding is totally mistaken and even, to a large extent, criminal vis-a-vis Israel's citizens' welfare and security. They will of course say that they are watching out only for Israel's interests, but unfortunately, this is far from the truth."
Abu Marzuk, the head of the political desk of Hamas, said today that representatives of European and Scandinavian countries have been in contact with Hamas leaders in Damascus. The Europeans are trying to convince Hamas to recognize Israel, Abu Marzuk said, adding that Hamas is willing only to consider maintaining quiet and stability.
Mubarak and Abdullah said they wish to meet separately with Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert with the goal of encouraging the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Abu Mazen.
Bukai said that Egypt and Jordan did nothing to stop the ascent of Hamas, and only now, when the threat is becoming stronger, are they showing concern. "The reason why Hamas is in power is because of the free elections in the Palestinian Authority," he said. "Any Arab or Islamic country that would hold free elections would show the same result, because if given a choice, the simple man in the street - I don't call him a citizen, because there's no civics in these places - will choose what he knows, namely, the Islamic Movement... Actually, Egypt and Jordan would like it if Israel would do their work for them and deal with the Hamas threat."
Middle Eastern affairs expert Dr. David Bukai of Haifa University notes the irony, explaining that Egypt and Jordan are more aware of and concerned about the Hamas terror threat than Israel, whose leaders are "criminally" busy with their own problems.
Speaking with Arutz-7's Hebrew newsmagazine on Sunday, Bukai said that Egypt and Jordan feel that the rise of Hamas was enabled because of Israel's retreat from Gaza. "They fear that if Israel continues to withdraw, Hamas will get even stronger, and will become an even greater threat to Egypt and Jordan," he said.
"Jordan and Egypt are threatened by World Jihad terrorism no less than Israel," Bukai explained. "Bin Laden has appointed Musa Abu Zarkawi as the Amir [commander] not only of Iraq, but of the entire Middle East. Egypt is thus threatened by the Al-Qaeda terrorism emanating from Sinai - and this terror can easily reach Israel and Saudi Arabia as well. Jordan, too, knows that Abu Zarkawi - his name indicates that he is of Zarka in Jordan - is interested in taking over Jordan perhaps even more than he wants Iraq. That's why Egypt and Jordan feel threatened. The ties between World Jihad and Hamas are strong, and will become stronger; Hamas is the spearhead of Jihad in the region."
U.S. intelligence sources report that Zarkawi is engaged in establishing a small independent army in Iraq, with the help of Al-Qaeda and Iran.
Bukai said that the Israeli government is not following Egypt and Jordan in this regard, and "is not even following logic or what its citizens' welfare would dictate. The Israeli government is busy with its own issues, totally and completely detached from the existing strategic and political reality. They will only act out of their own understanding, and this understanding is totally mistaken and even, to a large extent, criminal vis-a-vis Israel's citizens' welfare and security. They will of course say that they are watching out only for Israel's interests, but unfortunately, this is far from the truth."
Abu Marzuk, the head of the political desk of Hamas, said today that representatives of European and Scandinavian countries have been in contact with Hamas leaders in Damascus. The Europeans are trying to convince Hamas to recognize Israel, Abu Marzuk said, adding that Hamas is willing only to consider maintaining quiet and stability.
Mubarak and Abdullah said they wish to meet separately with Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert with the goal of encouraging the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Abu Mazen.
Bukai said that Egypt and Jordan did nothing to stop the ascent of Hamas, and only now, when the threat is becoming stronger, are they showing concern. "The reason why Hamas is in power is because of the free elections in the Palestinian Authority," he said. "Any Arab or Islamic country that would hold free elections would show the same result, because if given a choice, the simple man in the street - I don't call him a citizen, because there's no civics in these places - will choose what he knows, namely, the Islamic Movement... Actually, Egypt and Jordan would like it if Israel would do their work for them and deal with the Hamas threat."