Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Great hopes for US Middle East talks - Abbas
WASHINGTON (Agencies) - Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas told US President George W. Bush Monday that he had "a great deal
of hope" that US-hosted Middle East talks will lead to an Israeli-Palestinian
peace deal.
"We have a great deal of hope that this conference will produce permanent status
negotiations, expanded negotiations, over all permanent status issues that would
lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people," Abbas said
as they met at the White House.
The two leaders were meeting on the eve of a Middle East peace conference in
Annapolis.
"Thank you for working hard to implement a vision for a Palestinian state. We
want to help you. We want there to be peace. We want the people in the
Palestinian territories to have hope," said Bush.
"And we thank you for your willingness to sit down with Israel to negotiate the
settlement. The United States cannot impose our vision, but we can help
facilitate," he added.
"President Bush's initiative is a great initiative. We will continue to rely on
his support and the support of the United States and his administration in order
to achieve the intended objective," said Abbas.
Also yesterday, Foreign Minister Salah Bashir met with Abbas ahead of the
Annapolis meeting. Bashir also met with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul
Gheit. The minister is due to take part in the Arab foreign ministers meeting.
Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators neared an agreement earlier in
the day on a peace agenda as Bush launched a new drive to restart long-dormant
talks to create a Palestinian state.
Expectations were still low for three days of meetings in Washington and nearby
Annapolis, partly because Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas all
face political challenges at home, according to Reuters.
Bush, beginning his biggest attempt at Middle East peace with only 14 months
left in office, held earlier Oval Office talks with Olmert.
Bush told Olmert he was looking forward to a serious dialogue with the two
leaders "to see whether or not peace is possible".
He said he was optimistic about the outcome. He is to meet Olmert and Abbas
together on Tuesday in Annapolis.
Olmert said he hoped to launch "a serious process of negotiations". "This time
it is different," he said, hailing what he described as "very important"
international participation in the conference.
Despite long-standing frictions, Israeli and Palestinian officials said they
were close to agreement on a joint document that would outline the peace goals
to follow this week's sessions.
A top aide to Abbas, Yasser Abed Rabbo, predicted an announcement Monday or
Tuesday on the joint document and said: "There will be extensive meetings and
efforts in order to reach this document."
Israeli officials said negotiators had narrowed some of their differences over
the document, which will chart the course for negotiating the toughest issues of
the conflict -- Jerusalem, borders, security and Palestinian refugees.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said both sides were "converging" on a
document.
Syria and Saudi Arabia have promised to attend the Annapolis talks Tuesday,
joining envoys from more than 40 countries at the US Naval Academy, making the
conference one of the most sweeping efforts in years.
A senior Israeli official played down the chances of any direct talks - or even
an exchange of hand shakes - between Israeli and Saudi or Syrian leaders during
the conference.
"They [Arab leaders] won't do it until they get something concrete from Israel,"
the official said on condition of anonymity.
Washington says the hard work will begin only after this week, when Israelis and
Palestinians must tackle the issues at the core of the conflict.
In a reminder of the tit-for-tat violence that has caused havoc in the region
for decades, a Hamas activist was killed and four others were wounded Monday by
an Israeli missile strike in the northern Gaza Strip.
In Jerusalem's Old City, at least 15,000 Israelis opposed to this week's talks
gathered at the Western Wall to pray and protest against the Annapolis meeting.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has put her credibility on the line for
the conference. She argues Annapolis would be an opportunity for Israel and
Sunni Arabs to close ranks against regional "extremism" - an apparent allusion
at least in part to Iran's nuclear programme.
Iran has condemned Annapolis as a ruse for aiding Israel.
"All politicians in the world are aware that this conference is doomed to
failure," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a televised speech
in Tehran.