"All nations which support freedom stand as a united front against the war on terror," Netanyahu told Mubarak regarding Saturday's bombing which killed 21 people and wounded at least 97.
A car bomb exploded outside a church in the early hours of Saturday, targeting worshippers who gathered to mark the New Year in Egypt's northern city of Alexandria. Reports have relayed Egypt's suspicion that "foreign hands" were behind the attack.
Earlier Saturday, Mubarak, in a televised address, vowed to put a stop to terrorism, saying that the terrorists would fail in any plans to destabilize Egypt or divide Muslims and Christians.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on July 18, 2010 | |
Photo by: Moshe Milner |
Moreover, Netanyahu is due to arrive in Cairo on Thursday to meet with Mubarak and discuss the deadlock in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu sent his National Security Adviser Uzi Arad to Cairo on Tuesday, to meet with the Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, in order to prepare for Netanyahu's meeting with Mubarak. Arad spoke with Suleiman about the peace process impasse, the situation in the Gaza Strip, and Iran.
Barak Ravid is the diplomatic correspondent for Haaretz newspaper. He joined Haaretz in April 2007, covering the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense, dealing with issues such as U.S.-Israeli relations, EU-Israeli relations and the peace process.
Before joining Haaretz, Barak Ravid worked for two years for Maariv daily newspaper, spending a year covering the Palestinian Authority and a year as a diplomatic correspondent.
Ravid has a BA in the history of the Middle East from the University of Tel Aviv. He served for six years as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, and concluded his service with the rank of captain. He and his wife live in Tel Aviv.