Sir: The other day Egypt’s foreign minister, Nabeel-Al-Aarbi, urged the US to acknowledge the independent statehood of Palestine. His appeals came on the heels of the accord between Al-Fatah and Hamas to bury the hatchet and launch a joint struggle for the creation of an independent Palestine. During the long regime of Mubarak, Egypt had been pro-US and Israel. It is a dramatic change in Egypt’s foreign policy and seems to be the beginning of a new chapter of Middle East politics. FAZAL KARIM Turbat