Netanyahu Flies to Cairo on Mission to Re-start Talks with Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday. The meeting was suggested by Netanyahu, who wants Mubarak’s help in convincing Palestinian leaders to return to the negotiating table. Aides to Netanyahu have been making optimistic predictions to reporters in recent days. Other rumors making the rounds are that Obama envoy George Mitchell will soon announce a resumption of peace talks following intense lobbying by the White House. Talks regarding a potential prisoner swap to repatriate captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will also be high on the Netanyahu-Mubarak agenda. As the talks drag on, resistance among the Israeli public is growing to the idea of releasing more than 1,000 prisoners who were actively engaged in terrorist activities back into society. Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are reportedly at odds with the faction’s leaders-in-exile in Damascus over whether to go ahead with the swap.