The climate here is not good. This week in a meeting with Amr Moussa, US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice took Egypt to task for not doing enough to rein in the Palestinians, according to reports received by diplomatic sources in Jerusalem. Despite the tension and hate-filled rhetoric, Mazel says there are hopeful signs in relations. Last week an Israeli agricultural delegation was warmly received by the Egyptian minister of agriculture. And this week marked the opening of an oil refinery that is a joint Egyptian-Israeli venture five years in the planning.
Diplomatic ties continue too.
Though Sharon hasn't spoken with the Egyptian president, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has, and envoys at various levels continue to meet. No one has said that ties have been severed. An Egyptian-Jordanian formulation for restarting the talks was dismissed by Israel, which insists that the violence cease before the resumption of negotiations. We're in a crisis. No one is interested in going in another direction.