Jordan Times
Thursday, August 4, 2005
Jordan urges unity
during withdrawal
Agence France-Presse
His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday called for unity among Palestinian ranks
to ensure a smooth Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and its aftermath,
during talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.
King Abdullah “warned against the danger that
could stem from any Palestinian conflict during this phase,” according to a
statement from the Royal Court.
He also urged “all Palestinian factions to join their efforts to build the
institutions that will form the nucleus of a Palestinian state,” the statement
added.
The King pledged Jordan's full support for the Palestinian Authority in its
quest “to build its institutions and spread its control over the Gaza Strip
following the Israeli pullout,” due to begin August 17.
“Jordan is ready to make every possible effort to support and bolster
Palestinian economy,” King Abdullah said.
He also promised to step up contacts with “all the concerned parties to support
the Palestinians and ensure the continuation of the peace process according to
the principles of the roadmap.”
Abbas, meanwhile, briefed the Monarch on preparations made to assume the
security control of Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal which he described as a
“historic step” that should be followed by other pullouts, the statement said.
“As long as the Israeli side cooperates and is sincere in the withdrawal, this
withdrawal will be easy and possible,” Abbas said.
A Royal Court official told Agence France-Presse that King Abdullah was expected
to meet today in Amman with Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz to discuss the
Israeli pullout from Gaza as a “follow-up” to yesterday's talks with Abbas.
Israeli officials in occupied Jerusalem said Mofaz is to present the King the
pullout plan for Gaza, which should be concluded by October 3.
Meanwhile, right-wing activists said Wednesday they had managed to slip into the
doomed Gaza Strip settlements as part of a bid to disrupt Israel's pullout from
the territory. The main settlers' lobby Yesha, which has been at the vanguard of
attempts to wreck Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan, has issued
instructions to followers to try to bypass an army edict that the 21 settlements
were a closed military zone. While the army vowed that a massive show of force
would prevent anyone from sneaking into the main Gush Katif settlement bloc,
activists said that not only had they managed to get inside but some had even
had help from members of the security forces. Thousands of settlers and their
supporters have assembled in southern Israel to protest the pullout but while
they hope a show of strength may sway the government, they have made no secret
of their attempt to pursue their campaign from inside Gaza itself. One young
woman from Jerusalem told AFP by phone that she had managed to enter Gush Katif
with around a dozen fellow activists after being given identity cards from
Israeli residents still living in Gaza. Another right-wing activist said some
people had managed to slip into the area with the help of soldiers but refused
to give details. “People are getting into the Gush with the help of the
religious soldiers. With the police it's impossible but in some places with the
soldiers it's very easy,” she said on condition of anonymity.
One of the leaders of Yesha, Tzviki Barhai, confirmed that orders had been given
to activists to try to enter Gaza, particularly after an evening protest in
Ofakim.
“We have given instructions to our people to try and find alternative paths into
Gush Katif,” Barhai told public radio. “After the demonstration tonight, we will
advance towards Gush Katif with our leadership at the front of the march. If the
authorities bar our way, we will not use violence,” said Barhai. “But others
will try and infiltrate Gush Katif at the same time.”
Yesha chairman Bentzi Lieberman told the evening rally in Ofakim, attended by
around 20,000 protesters, that the aim was still to reach Gush Katif. “We are
going to Gush Katif, with happiness and determination, but without confrontation
with the security forces,” Lieberman told the crowd. Police said a number of
settlers had been arrested after a rally the night before in the town of Sderot
as they tried to break into Gaza, including Daniella Weiss, the leader of the
Kedumim regional council in the occupied West Bank.
“I am aware of a number of arrests in connection with infiltrations into Gush
Katif, Superintendent Carla Oz told AFP. Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres
ridiculed the settlers' aim of reaching Gaza.
“What will they do if they make it into Gush Katif? Stay there? Who will protect
them?” said Peres.
“The settlers are going through a hard period, and they (Yesha) are just making
it more difficult. They are raising false hopes, hindering the pullout to the
benefit of no one,” he added.
Settlers taking part in the rallies in Sderot and Ofakim accused their former
cheerleader Sharon of capitulating to Palestinian groups such as Hamas and
Islamic Jihad.
Both groups, which draw the lion's share of their support from Gaza, have rained
rockets down on Israeli targets during the near five-year uprising. Jihad's
commitment to the so-called “cool-down” has been cast into doubt by its
involvement in a number of recent deadly attacks.
However, the group said it had ordered its activists to stop firing rockets at
Israeli targets in the lead-up to the pullout, saying it wanted the withdrawal
to take place in a peaceful manner.
“The leadership of the Al Quds Brigades issued orders three days ago to all
groups to stop firing rockets in order to preserve the national Palestinian
project at this critical and historic juncture,” said the statement from the
movement's armed wing.