Netanyahu responds to Arab world's changes

Israel's prime minister said yesterday that an "earthquake" is under way in the Arab world but that he "hopes for the best."

Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel hopes to strengthen its existing peace agreements and sign new ones, but remains "prepared for any possibility," referring to the unrest in the region including the toppling of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Israel and Egypt signed a peace agreement in 1979. The accord has been a linchpin of stability for three decades. After forcing Mubarak to step down, Egypt's ruling military council said it would honor the accord, easing jitters in Israel.

The treaty allowed the Israeli military to drastically thin out its troops along its border with Egypt. Any change in the status of Israel-Egypt relations would require a major realignment of Israeli forces. -AP