Jordan Times
Monday, May 25, 1998
Anani rejects Ben Tsur's blame of Palestinians for peace deadlock
By Alia A. Toukan
AMMAN — Jordan on Sunday rejected an Israeli official's charge that the
Palestinians should be more “accommodating” to end the 16- month deadlock in the
peace process.
Deputy Prime Minster and Foreign Minister Jawad Anani told the Jordan Times after holding
talks with Israel's Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eitan Ben Tsur,
in Amman yesterday, that the Israeli official said that “if the Palestinians were
more accommodating, then there would be movement on the peace process.”
Mr. Ben Tsur said that his government wants to see progress in the peace process but
rejects the American proposal — which the Palestinians have accepted — for a
second Israeli troop redeployment from 13 per cent of the West Bank, said Dr. Anani.
Dr. Anani, however, told Mr. Ben Tsur that “the 13 per cent is the minimum that
anyone will accept, and that figure is already a compromise on a compromise,” he
said, referring to the Palestinian-Israeli Oslo peace accords stipulating that Israel's
second troop withdrawal should be around 30 per cent.
Israel has insisted that a withdrawal from more than 9-11 per cent would endanger its
security.
According to Dr. Anani there were no discussions on bilateral issues during his talks with
Mr. Ben Tsur. “There are more serious things going on right now that need to be
concentrated on,” he said.
Jordan is enraged by what officials term Israeli “procrastination” in delaying
the implementation of agreements with the Palestinians, and in bringing about an
“explosive” situation to the region.
His Majesty King Hussein has blamed the deadlock in the peace process entirely on Israeli
Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and his Likud-led government.
Last week, King Hussein said that the stalemate demonstrated that Mr. Netanyahu has no
“respect for the Palestinians and no commitment to the resolutions, and to agreements
signed,” in addressing members of the legislative, executive and judicial
authorities.
The Monarch sent a strong-worded letter of protest to Mr. Netanyahu last month, warning
him of the dire consequences for the entire region of not moving ahead with the second
redeployment, and holding him responsible for the faltering peace process.