Mubarak said he told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the delay could give the two sides time to draft their future borders. After those lines are agreed, Mubarak reasoned, Israel can build within its future borders and the Palestinians within theirs.
RELATED:Opinion: End this freeze!Netanyahu faces coalition threats from both sidesHis comments were carried in excerpts from an upcoming interview broadcast on Israel Radio.Mubaraks comments came hours after the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement in response to reports that the Obama administration wants Israel to extend the moratorium, saying that "we won't comment on the content of negotiations." A-sharq al-Awsat reported that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had agreed to the US suggestion of expanding the settlement freeze.