Weizman offered Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak no timetable for action and conceded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has moved more slowly than some would like. "Better late than never," said Weizman, who has used his largely ceremonial post to try to nudge the peace process forward and ease the tension that has developed between Israel and the Arab world.
As Weizman and Mubarak met in Cairo, there was a frenzy of diplomatic activity taking place in Israel and Jordan, with U.S. mediator Dennis Ross shuttling between Palestinian and Israeli officials to hammer out a plan for an Israeli pullback from Hebron.
Israeli chief negotiator Dan Shomron and his Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erekat continued to meet into the night in Jerusalem, with the Palestinian later indicating to Israeli Television that there had been no progress. But a more upbeat assessment came from Ed Abington, the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem, who said "Things are going well. There are still some difficulties, but they are not insurmountable."
Although Weizman's trip to Cairo was coordinated with Netanyahu, the cordial two-hour meeting and lunch he shared with Mubarak emphasized the snub by the Egyptian leader of the Israeli prime minister.
Mubarak last week refused to attend a Washington summit called by President Clinton with Netanyahu. The Egyptian repeated to a news conference Monday that he has no intention of meeting Netanyahu until Israeli troops withdraw from Hebron.
For his part, Weizman took pains to avoid appearing disloyal to the prime minister. He said his role in Egypt was to "heal certain splits, which everyone sees, with the largest Arab country."
He was noncommittal when asked if Netanyahu had miscalculated in deciding to excavate an archaeological tunnel in Jerusalem. That act sparked violence that killed at least 75 and injured more than 1,000. "I am not here to analyze Mr. Netanyahu's decisions," said Weizman.
By inviting Weizman - whom he has known for 19 years - to Egypt instead of the prime minister, Mubarak was able to convey his support for the peace process, while signaling his displeasure with Netanyahu and his policies.
Mubarak said he accepted the pledge given by Weizman that Israel would honor its agreements. He said he did not press for details because he said he understands that the accords are still being negotiated between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority led by Yasser Arafat. "I told (Weizman) that Egypt will continue to support the peace process as much as we can, until we reach a comprehensive settlement to the whole problem and until peace prevails all over the whole area," Mubarak said.
While offering the Arab side little of substance, Weizman stressed Israel's good faith. He said the road to peace could be rocky but that Palestinians and Israelis have no choice but to live with one another.
The Hebron redeployment has become the chief sticking point between Israel and Palestinians, and for many Arabs it is an acid test of whether Netanyahu is sincere about continuing the peace process.
The redeployment was scheduled for March but was postponed by the government of then Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres after suicide bombings by Muslim extremists in February and March killed at least 60.
Since his election in May, Netanyahu has said he supports the peace process but insists that Israel must have more safeguards for 450 or so Jewish settlers who live among more than 100,000 Palestinians in Hebron. The Palestinians, meantime, contend the already signed accord provided sufficient security guarantees and they say they do not want the internationally recognized accord renegotiated.
Meantime, on Monday, Arafat traveled to Jordan to confer with King Hussein and win support for his stance on Hebron. Israeli and Jordanian officials said later that Hussein would visit the West Bank Tuesday, when he gives Arafat a helicopter lift home to Palestinian-controlled Jericho. The visit is believed to be the king's first public trip to the West Bank since Jordan lost the territory to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.