Over a year ago, MK Elon presented Egypt with a plan. In the plan, Egypt would lease parts of the Sinai to a Palestinian state and connect it to Gaza. Israel would connect the WB to Gaza with direct rail and road. This would enable products from the ME (i.e. Yemen, Saudi, Jordan, Iraq etc.) to be transported easily to Europe (and vice versa), bypassing the Suez which is overstrained anyway, and ending the practice of shipping around the horn of Africa which is longer and costlier.
I think maybe Mubarak is realizing how much his country has missed over the years economically by making things so cold. Like King Hussein of Jordan, perhaps he wants to install a new attitude before he dies and hands power to his son. It's a way of protecting his son - if Mubarak makes the peace warmer his son won't take any blame for it. Plus, it's good for Egypt and the whole ME - and will make Egypt's case as the defacto head of the Arab League again.
"maybe Mubarak is realizing how much his country has missed over the years economically by making things so cold. Like King Hussein of Jordan, perhaps he wants to install a new attitude before he dies and hands power to his son. It's a way of protecting his son - if Mubarak makes the peace warmer his son won't take any blame for it."
And if he tries it, I wonder if the new regime in Egypt will bury them side by side?
Similar to a plan to create a palestinian state from Gaza and a portion of the Sinai proposed by one of Israel's foreign ministers, after the 73 war I think. Made a lot of sense, and, of course went nowhere.