Jordan Times
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
West Bank withdrawal will help achieve peace , Monarch tells Barak
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday
said Israel should withdraw from the West Bank in line with the roadmap to help
achieve a true peace with the Palestinians.
King Abdullah told Israel's former prime minister Ehud Barak at a meeting here
that creating peace and stability requires commitment to the full implementation
of the roadmap, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Reiterating that the Gaza pullout was an important step in the history of the
Palestinian cause, the King spoke about Jordan's efforts to support the peace
process and encourage both sides of the conflict to fulfil their roadmap
commitments.
The Monarch renewed Jordan's stand that establishing a viable and independent
Palestinian state would ensure stability in the region.
“Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank would pave the way for establishing
peace with the Palestinians and help stop violence and terrorism,” Petra quoted
the King as saying.
He said the international community should adopt a comprehensive economic plan
to support the Palestinians' economy and rebuild their institutions.
Palestinian economy is in tatters because of the Israeli economic blockade on
the Gaza Strip, years of violent conflict with Israel and mismanagement all of
which have reduced the average per capita income to $2 a day, according to the
United Nations, the Associated Press reported.
The Bush administration has pledged $50 million in additional aid to the
Palestinian Authority, but with strings attached. The funds must be kept
separate from the authority's other sources of income to make it easier to track
spending.
Barak, a member of Israel's Labour Party, was negotiating a settlement with the
late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat until talks hosted by former US president
Bill Clinton collapsed at Camp David, Maryland, in 1999.