Egypt Supports UN Supervision of Shebaa Farms

Egypt Supports UN Supervision of Shebaa Farms

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25/06/2008 Egypt announced that it suggested to visiting Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert handing over the occupied Shebaa Farms area to the United Nations pending a resolution between Lebanon, Syria and Israel on its legitimate ownership. In this context, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sleiman Aouad said that his country favors putting the Shebaa Farms under UN supervision "until a decision is reached over handing them over to Lebanon or to Syria." "These ideas are supported by European countries," Awad stressed Tuesday following one-on-one talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Olmert in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev, however, said ahead of the Israeli PM's visit to Egypt that Tel Aviv "wants to enter into direct negotiations with Lebanon to reach peace." Lebanon has refused direct negotiation with Israel before all outstanding issues between them are settled. "All issues, including the Shebaa Farms could be discussed, during the negotiations," Regev said, adding that the Lebanese are not willing to go into talks with Israel unless all "other tracks are solved." The Egyptian announcement comes after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned during a surprise visit to Lebanon last week that Washington thinks it is time a settlement over the "disputed territory" is reached in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The Shebaa Farms region is Lebanese given the title deeds presented to the UN and the Lebanese government, which proves the Farms are owned by Lebanese citizens. Some Lebanese who, not a long time ago, have been questioning the identity of the Farms, have yielded to Rice and her administration's decision and agreed the territories are Lebanese. They want to withdraw the pretext from Hezbollah to hold arms by liberating the Farms. Hezbollah stressed that if the Shebaa Farms are liberated by arms or diplomatically, it would be a triumph for the resistance. The party also stressed that liberating the Shebaa Farms does not mean disarming the resistance.