THE Egyptian Foreign Minister has firmly quashed speculation that the three day economic summit due to begin today in Cairo will be the venue for a ceremonial deal on the West Bank city of Hebron.
Mr Amr Moussa told reporters bluntly that there was no deal and there would be no ceremony. His message was repeated by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, who is load ing the EU troika in its visit to the Middle East. Reports that a deal between Israelis and Palestinians was imminent have been circulating since the five day troika visit began.
"We have no information about any ceremony in relation to Hebron," Mr Spring said. "What we have always said is that it is very important that agreement should be reached between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli government on the Hebron aspect of the accord."
Mr Spring repeated the European position that Hebron is a first step. He said the basis for agreement was already there in the Oslo and Madrid accords.
Some observers believe the Israelis are building up the importance of the Hebron aspect of the agreements with the intention of shelving other aspects when Hebron is finally delivered. These other aspects would include the release of prisoners, the lifting of travel restrictions and a settlement of the thorny question of Jerusalem.
"The idea is to make Hebron everything so that people think heaven has been given back to the Palestinians," one source said.
Israeli authorities have been arresting Jewish extremists in the area, a move seen by some as preparation for a pull out. A possible date is November 20th, when the Israeli Prime Minister Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, will be in Dublin.
Mr Spring also met President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in Cairo yesterday. President Mubarak has refused to meet Mr Netanyahu until Hebron is handed over.
The Tanaiste also met the Secretary General of the Arab League, Dr Esmet Abdel Meguid whom he urged to throw the support of the Arab community behind the PLO chairman, Mr Yasser Arafat.
Mr Arafat arrived in Cairo yesterday after an angry demand that he be allowed to fly by helicopter from Gaza was turned down by the Israelis.
Last night Mr Spring dined with the US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, and the US envoy to the Middle East, Mr Dennis Ross. Earlier Mr Spring spoke about a new sense of partnership between the US and the EU.
The EU's new envoy to the area, Mr Miguel Moratinos, was also in Cairo yesterday, although he had not yet been formally appointed.
This morning Mr Spring will meet the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy, who is travelling to Cairo with four ministers. The meeting replaces a planned visit to Jerusalem which was cancelled when the Israelis threatened not to meet the troika if it visited the PLO headquarters at Orient House in the city.
It emerged yesterday that both the Italian and Irish delegates on the troika had their passports stamped by the Israelis when they entered Gaza.
The stamp could cause problems for visits to other countries in the region. However, the passports of the Dutch diplomats were not stamped.
