THINGS HAPPEN FAST IN THE DEMOCRATIC MIDDLE EAST:

Sharon to attend Egypt peace summit (February 2, 2005, Guardian Unlimited)

The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has accepted an invitation from Egypt to attend a Middle East peace summit there next week, it was announced today.

Mr Sharon's decision to accept the invitation raised hopes that the first direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians for almost four years would take place at the summit.

The Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, has invited Mr Sharon and the new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to meet at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik next Tuesday. [...]

With Egypt offering to play host, there was a good probability that the summit would take place as neither Israel nor the Palestinians would want to offend Mr Mubarak, a key mediator.

If the summit is held, it would mean Mr Sharon would meet with Mubarak for the first time since becoming prime minister, a diplomatic achievement for the Israeli leader whom the Egyptian president has refused to host in the past.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, who has also been a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, met with Mr Sharon today.

Mr Suleiman requested the meeting with Mr Sharon at short notice, Israeli officials said. The talks came after Mr Suleiman met recently in Cairo with the leaders of two Palestinian militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The armed groups have said they are ready to halt attacks, provided Israel halts military operations.