Egyptian-US moves to halt the Israeli aggression
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 5/29/2001

Egyptian-US efforts are underway for finding an acceptable formula for halting Israeli aggression and containing volatile violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and maintaining calm.

Egypt is currently making contacts at the regional and international levels and through the Arab group in the Security Council for making a headway that culminates by the acceptance by Israel, without reservation, the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative and Mitchell report.

Ambassador Solaiman Awad, Assistant Foreign Minister, said that the Arab group would re-launch the issue of international protection for the Palestinians before the UN Security Council once more after the Israeli aggression has been escalated.

He said that the Arab group, in coordination with the OIC and NAM would undertake parallel move in the UN General Assembly and would call for resuming the convening of a conference by the parties to the Geneva Convention, whose rulings apply to occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem.

Meantime, US envoy William Burns resumed his difficult mission which aims at applying Mitchell Committee recommendations through halting violence, freezing the building of Israeli settlements on the Palestinian territories where he met with Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat. He will meet later with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Burns new tour comes in the wake of the failure of his previous talks in achieving any progress regarding the bridging of difference gap between the two sides.

He said that he would call on Sharon not to react to blast which have recently taken place in the West Bank and to keep self restraint.

Nabil Abu Redinah, the Advisor to the Palestinian Leader has uncovered a message he conveyed to Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat from US President George Bush and his Secretary of State Colin Powell.

He said that the message urges him to act immediately for introducing a mechanism for carrying out recommendations of Mitchell Committee.

Palestinian sources told the AFP that such a mechanism would be set up by an Israeli Palestinian working team in consultation with US diplomats, given the fact that Burns will leave the region today.

In the meantime, Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer said yesterday that Israel has suggested the resumption of security coordination today as an initial step. Israeli TV noted that the two sides had already agreed to resume coordination.

Reuters quoted a high level security official as saying that Arafat has agreed on resuming dialogue in principle but there were still disagreements on the timing and participants in the dialogue.

Israeli television quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the Palestinians have expressed their readiness to accept the freezing of settlements in parallel with a ceasefire.

In Moscow, Russia has addressed strong criticism to Israel's current policy as it would demolish the peace achievements. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative and Mitchell committee report include the most important points of understanding.

These Russian criticism came before the planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat today.

Meantime, the Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson will meet Arafat and Sharon. A spokesman for the Swedish Foreign Ministry said Persson would meet Arafat in Copenhagen tomorrow and Sharon in Brussels on June 6 th.

The spokesman said the situation in the Middle East, and the latest peace initiatives would be discussed during the two meetings. The spokesman added that the two sides were willing to know the attitude of the EU towards Mitchell report.

Previous Stories:
  Maher warns against Sharon's attempts to the brink of danger   (5/28/2001)
  Mubarak to address G-15 Summit in Indonesia   (5/28/2001)
  1967 never to happen again   (5/24/2001)

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