Egypt-Jordanian initiative can save peace
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 5/7/2001

"The Egyptian -Jordanian initiative has become the only card available to escape the complex situation in the Middle East, halt the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people and save the peace process," Egyptian Presidential Political Advisor Osama EL Baz said.

"Israel will be isolated if it does not respond to this initiative, and this does not place any new commitments on Palestinians or Israelis, but provides a mechanism to escape the crisis, apply the transitional agreements, halt the settlement expansion and to resume the negotiations between the two sides in order to reach a final solution within a specific time frame," he added.

The initiative has received the blessing of the Palestinians and the various world states, mainly the Eu and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members, he told "hot issue" a Weekly Egyptian television program.

"Palestinians are suffering very badly under a flagrant Israeli aggression," he said.

Also taking part in the program was Palestinian Minister of Local Planning Saeb Erekat, the American and Swedish ambassadors to Egypt and member of the Israeli leftist Meretz Party Latif Dori.

"All Palestinian towns and villages are under siege, Palestinians suffer in every sense and under the worst conditions including being deprived of their daily bread, at a time Israel claims it cannot start negotiations under a climate of violence" Baz said. The truth is that Israel is incapable of resuming the negotiations because it knows that resuming them would entail certain commitments, he added.

'The Egyptian -Jordanian initiative proposes an end to the current crisis, and a return to the pre-September 28 situations in the Palestinian territories," he said.

Baz deplored the Israel's use of its armed forces to subdue the Intifada as if it were in a third world war, and its liquidation of Palestinian leaderships in the real sense of the word, he added.

Shedding light on the Egyptian -Jordanian initiative, Baz said it calls on Israel to stop the military and economic siege of Palestinian towns, the need to rebuild confidence between the two sides, the resumption of negotiations and a return to the pre-September 28 conditions.

"Palestinians have the right to fight the occupation and if the occupation ends, there will be no reason for resistance," he said.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, impossible   (4/27/2001)
  Sharon, to blame for deterioration of situation   (4/23/2001)
  Egypt rallies support for Arab-Islamic draft resolution on Palestine   (4/18/2001)

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