Israel Defense Minister/Egypt,Palestine

Independent Films, Politics

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to discuss peace negotiations under the so-termed "Quartet" group and other regional developments. Asked about Egypt and Hosni Mubarek's repeated intention to stay in power until September, Mr. Barak replied: "It is up to the Egyptian people to find their way."
In a separate interview, to ABC News, Mr. Barak did say though he favors a gradual transition expressing the view that rapid change in Egypt is likely to bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power.

Transcripts / Production notes / Scripts

(Hebrew) Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense, State of Israel:
“I think that a peace process can emerge only from a dialogue between the partners ultimately, especially between us and Palestinians, we are already about 20 years into these negotiations. And I think that recently we approved a set of confidence building measures on the ground both in Gaza and in the West Bank in order to move ahead with the actual building of institutions and kind of state in embryo led by Abu Mazar Prime Minister Fayad.

STORYLINE:

Israel’s Minister of Defense Ehud Barak met with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (10 Feb) in New York to discuss the Middle East Quartet and developments in the region.

Following the meeting he was asked for his reaction to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s speech to the country where he stated that he would remain in power until September. Barak said “it’s up to the Egyptian people to find their way.”

And when asked about peace negotiations in the region, he said “a peace process can emerge only from a dialogue between the partners ultimately, especially between us and Palestinians, we are already about 20 years into these negotiations.”

He added that recently a set of confidence building measures had been approved on the ground both in Gaza and in the West Bank in order to move ahead with the actual building of institutions.

Earlier, Barak attended a commemoration of the Holocaust ceremony in the General Assembly.

Tags

• Egypt
• Israel
• demonstrations
• transition
• Hosni Mubarek
• Muslim Brotherhood

Directors:

• Mo Sacirbey, UNTV

Producers:

• Susan Sacirbey