Jordan Times
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
King briefs Abbas on US
visit
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday briefed Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas on the outcome of his recent talks with top US officials in
Washington, DC.
Over the last week, His Majesty met with President George W. Bush, Vice
President Dick Cheney and congressional leaders. He also discussed regional
developments and bilateral ties with Republican presidential candidate John
McCain and Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
For his part, Abbas outlined the latest developments in the Palestinian arena
and the outcome of his last week’s meeting with US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, who was working with both parties to the conflict to ensure
the resumption of negotiations. Abbas had announced a halt to peace talks in
reaction to the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, in which dozens of civilians were
killed.
The King reiterated his condemnation of the Israeli aggression, urging a unified
Palestinian stand under the current situation.
King Abdullah renewed Jordan's backing for all regional and international
efforts to help Palestinians and Israelis resume negotiations and find solutions
to all final status issues within a clear and fixed timeframe.
He said the key to peace and stability in the region is a just and permanent
political settlement for the Mideast conflict that leads to an independent
Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
His Majesty renewed his rejection of any unilateral measures, especially
Israel’s plans to resume settlement activity, which, he said, hampers the peace
process.
Israel announced plans to build hundreds of new homes in a Jewish settlement in
the occupied West Bank on Sunday. It is also expanding a Jewish settlement in
Jabal Abu Ghneim, known to the Israelis as Har Homa.
The King expressed Jordan's concern over the living conditions of the
Palestinians as a result of the Israel-imposed blockade in Gaza and its serious
repercussions on their life.
King Abdullah said Jordan will keep its channels of communication open with the
international society in a bid to bring an end to the suffering of the
Palestinian people and funnel relief aid to them to alleviate their economic
hardships.
In remarks to the press following the meeting, Abbas said the focus of his talks
with the King was the internal Palestinian situation and the proposed truce
between Hamas and Israel.
Commenting on the expected deal, the Palestinian leader said that all operations
must be halted and four conditions should be met to ensure that.
“First, Hamas must stop its rockets. You know what I think about this issue for
long… Second, Israel must stop its attacks against the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Third, the siege must be eased in the Gaza Strip as a start,” Abbas said.
He added that the fourth condition for a truce is that Israel open all crossing
points with the Palestinian territories, to be concluded with the reopening of
Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which has recently seen chaos after
Palestinian gunmen blew it open and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians poured
into Egypt to buy their needs.
He said: "I think there is a tentative agreement with Egypt in this regard."
Abbas indicated that Hamas has demanded that the personal safety of its leaders
as well as those of the Islamic Jihad Movement should be guaranteed. "I think
Israelis agree on this, and this is the deal that we may hear of in the next few
days".