Mausher: the Arabs have not withdrawn signatures from Beirut's summit initiative; Jordan dialogue with Israeli parties
Jordan-Israel, Politics, 1/16/2003

Jordan started yesterday a move towards the political parties in Israel under the slogan of giving a push forward to the peace process. This was in a mission that seemed to be linked to the approaching date of the Israeli elections. This started with receiving key figures in the Meretz party Yusi Sarid and Yusi Belin, who announced, together with the Jordanian foreign minister Marwan Muasher their support for the "Road Map" plan that the US administration announced its freezing at the request of the government of Ariel Sharon.

By the beginning of next week, Muasher will hold talks with the member at the leadership of the Labor Party, and in a very nearby time with "an important official" with the rightist Likud party, according to a source in Amman on Tuesday.

In conclusion of a meeting in Amman with Sarid, the leader of Meretz and Belin, the former Labor Party Minister of Justice, Muasher said "we do hope that after the Israeli elections the winner, whatever party will be, will accept the roadmap which will be conducive to a solution establishing two states and gives security for Israel and for the Palestinians." He added "despite of the violence, there were important peace initiatives in 2002 ( one was an Arab at the Beirut's summit and the second was issued by the US President George Bush led to the so-called Road Map) and the solution of establishing the two states in a three years period." He added that despite the difficult situation the region is passing, however, the Arab states are committed to the peace process and that no Arab states had withdrawn its signatures from the Arab initiative," which was approved at the Beirut's Arab summit.

Muasher said that Jordan's initiative to open a dialogue was not an attempt to affect the Israeli elections. He said that Jordan does not support the winning of one party over the other, rather what decides the relations with any ( Israeli) government in the future is its readiness to work for peace.

He continued "we also confirmed during the meeting our rejection to the suicide operations and to the continued Israeli settlement in the Palestinian territories because these two elements constitute an obstacle for settling the conflict." He said "our relations with Israel will be greatly affected to the extent of the readiness of the coming (Israeli) government to abide by the implementation of the Road Map."

Previous Stories:
  Jordan to receive shortly Israeli politicians   (1/15/2003)
  Jordanian committee renews rejection of normalization   (1/8/2003)
  Jordan denies attacking Israeli patrol on its territories   (12/24/2002)

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