Jordan Times
Friday, December 14, 2007
King briefed on first
round of Palestinian-Israeli talks
JT and agencies
AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday met with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, who briefed him on the outcome of Wednesday’s Palestinian-Israeli
meeting, the first since the peace process was relaunched in Annapolis last
month.
The King underlined the need to seize the opportunity made available by the
November 27-28 Annapolis meeting.
His Majesty and Abbas reiterated their call on the international community to
extend support for the negotiations, which are hoped to lead to a peaceful
settlement of the Mideast conflict before the end of 2008.
Stressing the need for all parties to fulfil their commitments, King Abdullah
and Abbas said Israel's plans to build new housing units in Jerusalem’s Jabal
Abu Ghneim is a stark violation to peace principles.
"King Abdullah and President Abbas agreed that Israel's plan to build more
settlement units violates peace principles and obstructs any political
progress”, a Royal Court statement said.
Israel's recent decision to expand a settlement in East Jerusalem dominated the
meeting between Palestinian and Israeli officials, with the Palestinians
demanding the Jewish state to halt all settlement activities.
Abbas said in remarks to the press after the meeting with the King that Israeli
and Palestinian negotiators will meet on December 23 for their second round of
talks.
"The Palestinians are committed to make the negotiations with Israel a success.
We held talks with Israel on Wednesday and agreed to meet again on December 23,"
Abbas said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed
Qureia held talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the first time since the two
sides agreed at US-brokered talks last month to try to reach a deal by the end
of next year.
The Palestinian leader's visit to Jordan comes ahead of a donor meeting in Paris
on December 17 aimed at providing economic support for the Palestinians.
"The King and I discussed the conference and means to coordinate efforts to deal
with it and help ease the suffering of the Palestinians," Abbas said.
Palestinian officials have said they would request $7.1 billion (4.8 billion
euros) in economic aid at the Paris conference.
Abbas, meanwhile, said US President George W. Bush's visit next month to the
region "proves that he is committed to achieving peace". He said the
Palestinians were looking forward to "firm" US efforts "particularly when it
comes to Israeli settlements and advancing the peace process forward".
Abbas voiced appreciation for King Abdullah's Wednesday speech to the European
Parliament in which he stressed the right of the Palestinians to their own
independent state that lives side by side in peace with Israel.
Abbas also thanked King Abdullah's gesture to treat sick Gaza residents in
Jordan.
The King’s decision to facilitate the medical help to Gazans came amid
strangulating restrictions Israel is imposing on the coastal strip, which led,
among other grave results, to deterioration in the health services in Gaza,
according to Palestinian officials.
Abbas told reporters that internal Palestinian situation was also discussed in
his meeting with King Abdullah.