Moussa: Palestinian-Israeli contacts should follow lifting siege, stopping settlement
Regional-Palestine, Politics, 6/22/2001

Arab League Secretary general Amr Moussa Wednesday said there is room for resuming Palestinian-Israeli contacts in a bid to negotiate over core issues, such as Jerusalem and withdrawal from Palestinian lands occupied in 2000.

Addressing a press conference following a meeting with Lebanese president Emile Lahoud, Moussa said talks between the two sides should follow lifting the siege and stopping the construction of colonies.

"If any of these steps are not achieved, it will be clear that the Israeli goal is to stop the Intifada and maintain the ceasefire without any concessions on the part of Israel,' he said.

On the Arab decision to sever contacts with Israel, Moussa said the current Israeli-Palestinian developments did not come from nowhere but upon the collective Arab decisions.

"The goal is to resume talks for Jerusalem and refugees. There are the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative and the Mitchell Commission report," he said.

Asked about amending the voting system at the Arab league, Moussa said the issue of "unanimity" comes in a later stage as "there is no problem at present on voting," he said.

Moussa said his talks with Lahoud covered the outcome of the follow-up committee meeting in Amman, the Arab Information ministers council, the role and restructure of the Arab league and arrangements for holding the second pan-Arab summit.

Previous Stories:
  On pressures made on the Palestinians   (6/20/2001)
  Fragile cease-fire requires effective political measures   (6/19/2001)
  International parliamentary group on Palestine to be set up   (6/16/2001)

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