Jordan Times
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
King, Bush discuss
preparations for international peace meeting
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah and US President George W. Bush on Monday
explored means to enhance Jordanian-US relations and regional peace.
During a phone call, the two leaders discussed efforts under way to move the
Middle East peace process forward, as well as ongoing preparations for the
international meeting, called for by the president, slated for November in the
US.
King Abdullah underlined the significant role the US could play in bringing the
Palestinians’ and the Israelis’ views closer and in cementing the trust between
the two sides.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was reported by the Associated
Press as saying Monday, in one of her most forceful statements yet on the issue,
that the time has come for establishing a Palestinian state, and that it is in
the interest of the US to do so.
Rice’s comments, after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,
suggest that the Bush administration is determined to try to bridge the wide gap
between Israelis and the Palestinians ahead of the US-hosted Mideast conference.
The gathering is expected to take place next month, though a date hasn't been
announced. Amid such uncertainty, moderate Arab countries, whose participation
is widely viewed as critical, have not committed to attend, the agency said.
Tensions arose Sunday when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet
that he did not regard a joint declaration of principles for a future peace deal
to be a prerequisite for the conference. The Palestinians said that without such
a document, they wouldn't attend the meeting in Annapolis, Maryland.
Rice suggested Monday that she was siding with the Palestinians on the need for
such a document, but was cool to their idea, raised again by Abbas, to set a
deadline for reaching a final peace deal.
"I am not certain that a timetable that says we have to complete X by Y time is
where we want to go," she told reporters.
She said a joint document "does not have to be detailed in order to be serious".
She reiterated: "We frankly have better things to do than invite people to
Annapolis for a photo op."
The US has said it wants a substantive working paper dealing with all the key
disputes before the start of the conference. The issues include borders, the
status of disputed Jerusalem, Israeli settlements and Palestinian refugees.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia has said one or two sentences
outlining a solution for each issue would be sufficient.
Concerning Jerusalem, for example, he said it would be enough to declare that
West Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel and East Jerusalem the capital of
Palestine. The line of division would then be determined during negotiations.
Olmert hinted Monday that he was ready to share control of the Holy City, saying
that Israel could do without controlling some of Jerusalem's outlying Arab
neighbourhoods.
Olmert's top ally, Vice Premier Haim Ramon, has made similar statements in the
past, but it was the first time Olmert adopted this position. Agreement on the
principle of division, without discussing the actual lines, could be sufficient
for a joint declaration.
Later Monday, the Israeli and Palestinian drafting teams were to meet in
Jerusalem, Qureia's office said. The teams met only once before. It was not
clear whether Rice would join them at some point.
In Ramallah, standing next to Abbas, Rice defined Palestinian statehood as a US
interest.
"Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state," Rice said.
"I wanted to say in my own voice, to be able to say to as many people as
possible, that the United States sees the establishment of a Palestinian state
and a two-state solution as absolutely essential for the future, not just of
Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed to American
interests," she said.
"That's really a message that I think only I can deliver."
She said Bush has made ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a top priority of
his administration.
Rice praised Israel and Palestinians for exerting their "most serious effort" in
years to end the conflict.
Olmert and Abbas have held a series of meetings in recent months, and the two
sides have appointed negotiating teams to hammer out their joint vision for
peace in time for the gathering.
Abbas said he had asked for US help to halt Israeli settlement expansion and
Israel's ongoing construction of the separation barrier in the West Bank.
The Palestinians have protested recent Israeli land expropriations for a West
Bank road project. They fear the land seizures are meant to tighten Israeli
control over strategic West Bank areas near Jerusalem.
Addressing such concerns, Rice said: "I have said we need to, at this particular
point in time, be certain to avoid any steps that would undermine confidence
because the building of confidence is something that takes time."
The secretary of state is on a four-day shuttle mission, trying to find some
common ground ahead of the Mideast meeting. A State Department official hinted
on Sunday that the conference might be postponed. However, Abbas aides suggested
Monday that the gathering would atmost be rescheduled for early December.