Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
King, Rice discuss
preparations
Agencies
His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday reiterated that the upcoming Annapolis peace
meeting should lead to the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations
governed by a fixed timeframe and later to an independent Palestinian state.
In a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, King
Abdullah said a suitable atmosphere should be in place to render the conference
a success.
Rice told the King that Washington is committed to achieving Israeli-Palestinian
peace, a Royal Court statement said.
The United States is also committed to enhancing security and stability in the
Middle East, the statement quoted Rice as saying.
Rice is scheduled to visit the Middle East next week to put final touches on
preparations for the conference, tentatively scheduled for later this month.
Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers are to hold talks later this month to prepare
their position ahead of the Middle East peace meeting, Arab League Secretary
General Amr Musa said after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who
was on a two-day visit to Egypt.
The meeting in "the last 10 days of November" will "take up all points and
topics related to the conference", said Musa.
No firm date has been set for the US-sponsored international meeting aimed at
reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that broke down seven years ago.
Egypt still sceptic
Also on Monday, Egypt renewed its scepticism over the meeting, and its chief
diplomat hinted that the heavyweight Arab nation may even not attend the
gathering expected later this month.
The remarks by Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheith came after talks between
President Hosni Mubarak and Abbas as diplomatic efforts to convene the
conference have moved into high gear.
Aboul Gheith said the conference expected in Annapolis, Maryland, should launch
peace negotiations that end with "fulfilling the dream of the Palestinian
state".
"If the meeting in Annapolis will achieve that goal, let us all go to achieve
that Palestinian goal," Aboul Gheith said. "But if the meeting in Annapolis will
not achieve that goal, then I think Egypt and other Arab countries will have
reservations to participate."
Mubarak has been showing reluctance to support the gathering, which he and Aboul
Gheith have been criticising as lacking an agenda and "an endgame" to resolve
the Israeli-Arab issue.
On Sunday, Mubarak discussed the proposed meeting with King Abdullah of Saudi
Arabia, another key Arab powerhouse which has showed similar scepticism on the
conference.
After the meeting, Suleiman Awwad, a spokesman for Mubarak, said the Egyptian
leader and the Saudi king expect the meeting to "set up the final solutions...
within serious negotiations and a timetable."
King Abdullah has said Saudi Arabia was not sure about its attendance. "This
question is premature," the Saudi monarch told the British Broadcasting
Corporation earlier this month.
He also said he believed the conference would fail unless the Palestinians'
needs were taken more seriously and stressed the urgency for the return of
Palestinian refugees to their country.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas have met several times since the
spring to discuss the agenda of the conference, which the Palestinians want to
relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and set a six-month deadline for
completing a deal. The Israelis are hesitant about setting a timeline.
Israeli and Palestinian officials resumed preparatory talks on Monday for the
US-hosted conference, a day after Palestinian negotiators were stopped at an
Israeli checkpoint and a session was called off.
An Israeli government official gave no details of the talks, other than to say
that they had ended for the day.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat described the session as "difficult" and said
the officials had not yet begun drafting a joint document expected to be
presented at the conference.
"The problem over the content of the document has not yet been resolved," Erekat
told Reuters, adding that the negotiating teams planned to meet again on
Tuesday.
Deepening diplomatic disagreement ahead of the conference, Erekat publicly
rebuffed Israel's demand that it be recognised as a Jewish state.
While recognising the right of Israel to exist, Erekat said: "The Palestinians
won't accept Israel as a Jewish state."
Olmert, in a broadcast appearance before his parliamentary faction, reaffirmed
his vision of mutual Israeli-Palestinian recognition but indicated it may not
come up at Annapolis. Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, declined to comment
directly on Erekat's remarks, but said that recognition of Israel's identity was
key to any peace process.
"This is not something that is up for discussion. It is a basic creed of the
state of Israel," she said.