Egyptian presidential hopeful pledges to bring Palestinians back to forefront

Former foreign minister Amr Moussa also stresses need to talk with Iran

Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa told a Kuwaiti newspaper that if he were elected, he would push the Palestinian issue high on the international agenda, Israel Radio reported Sunday.

The 75-year-old candidate, who served as secretary-general of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011, also emphasized the importance of dialogue with Iran, saying there was no way to get around talking with the regime in Tehran and that engagement would ultimately be in the best interests of all Persian Gulf states.

Moussa and Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh are widely seen as the two leading candidates in the election, which is already under way for Egyptians living abroad. Voters inside Egypt will go to the polls beginning May 23. Many Egyptians have expressed concern over Moussa’s ties with deposed president Hosni Mubarak, under whom Moussa served as foreign minister from 1991 to 2001.