Jordan Times
Sunday, March 11, 2007
King says
Palestinian-Israeli talks should have clear goals
Agencies
King Abdullah on Saturday said upcoming Palestinian-Israeli negotiations should
have clear objectives to help revive the peace process.
"It was necessary to build on Arab and international efforts to activate the
peace process," the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the King as telling
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a meeting in Amman.
The Monarch stressed "the necessity to formulate a clear view of the objectives
and results to be reached through the upcoming negotiations", referring to Abbas'
meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday — the second between
the two leaders in a month, according to the Associated Press.
"It's very important to establish this formula before US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice’s visit to the region and the Arab summit at end of the month,"
the King said.
Abbas briefed King Abdullah on the formation of a unity government with Hamas
and efforts to prepare the necessary political groundwork to relaunching talks
with Israel.
Israelis and the Palestinians acknowledged that they don't expect any major
breakthroughs in Sunday's talks ahead of the formation of a new Palestinian
government, the AP reported.
Israel said it would not delve into the most important issues like the borders
of a future Palestinian state unless the new Palestinian government renounce
violence, recognise Israel and accept existing peace deals as demanded by the
Quartet of Middle East mediators.
Arab states are expected to reiterate their support for a 2002 land-for-peace
offer to end the decades long conflict with Israel at a summit in Saudi Arabia
later this month. It calls for the creation of a Palestinian state and the full
recognition of Israel in return for an Israeli withdrawal from the land seized
by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
Flareup of violence
Meanwhile, gunmen fired on the car of a Hamas government minister Saturday,
causing no injuries but underscoring the fragility of the power-sharing deal
between Hamas and the Fateh movement.
Abbas hopes a Hamas-Fateh coalition, to be formed within two weeks, will help
end an international boycott of the year-old Hamas government and lead to a
resumption of peace talks with Israel. Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin
said Israel will not consider a resumption of peace talks unless it wins
recognition from a new Palestinian government, and unless Palestinian fighters
halt rocket fire from Gaza.
"We are at a pre-negotiation stage," Eisin said. "We are not at phase where
we're actually talking about substance. We're at a point in which we're trying
to build confidence between the sides." The Palestinians want to resume talks on
a final peace deal which broke down more than six years ago.
However, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said progress towards that goal is
unlikely at the moment. "These are difficult times between us and I don't want
to raise expectations," Erekat said.
Abbas will ask Olmert to halt Israeli military operations in the West Bank, as
part of an effort to broaden an informal ceasefire, in place in Gaza since
November, Erekat said. Olmert and Abbas will also discuss Egyptian attempts to
win the release of an Israeli soldier captured in Gaza in June, Erekat said.
Olmert will tell Abbas that Israel will not cut off the channel of communication
with him, even if the new Palestinian government does not meet the Israeli
conditions, Israeli TV reported Saturday. In addition, Olmert will tell Abbas
that Israel will expand the opening hours of the Karni crossing between Gaza and
Israel by the end of March, the TV said.
Sunday's meeting is the second between Olmert and Abbas in a month. Rice hosted
the previous talks on February 19 and is expected back in the region later this
month, Israel army radio said.
In the West Bank, three gunmen stopped the car of Prisoners Affairs Minister
Wasfi Kabaha in the town of Tubas and fired four shots at the vehicle, security
officials said. Hamas forces rushed to the scene, and the gunmen fled after a
brief exchange of fire.
Hamas accused Palestinian security officials with ties to Fateh of being behind
the attack. Security officials said they did not know who was responsible.
Last month, Abbas of Fateh and top officials from Hamas agreed to form a unity
government in a last-ditch attempt to halt months of fighting in which more than
130 people were killed. While the agreement ended the latest wave of violence,
tensions remain high as the sides try to finalise their deal.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Saturday he expects a
new Palestinian government to be formed within four or five days, and to seek
parliament approval in a week. Haniyeh said in an interview broadcast on
Palestine TV that he hoped a final agreement could be reached Wednesday or
Thursday.
Hamas and Fateh remain at odds over several key issues, including who will serve
as interior minister. The job is responsible for overseeing Palestinian security
forces, which are dominated by Fateh loyalists.
The Olmert-Abbas meeting came ahead of a string of diplomatic meetings. Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will meet with Rice in the coming days as part of a
trip to the United States that began Saturday, Livni spokesman Mark Regev said.
He said they would be discussing Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz also left Saturday for the United States,
where he will meet US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon, Israel Radio reported. Both Israeli ministers met with Olmert
before their departures, the radio said.
Ban is slated to visit Israel and the Palestinian areas later this month in an
effort to revive the peace process, his office said Friday.