Sharon clings to principles, Abbas waits to meet Bush
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/31/2003

The advisor for the Palestinian President, Nabil Abu Rudinah, announced it was agreed during the meeting between the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Ariel Sharon to release a joint statement concerning their positions concerning the Roadmap in al-Aqaba, Jordan, at the summit which will bring them together with the US President George W. Bush on Wednesday.

The Israelis and the Palestinians described the second meeting between Sharon and Abbas since the latter assumed his task as head of government and the first since the Israeli government adopted the Roadmap, as "very positive."

The Israeli side justified describing this meeting as such, in a statement that spoke of the tough security measures the Palestinian prime minister will take, including dismantling the Palestinian resistance groups, confiscate their weapons and halt what is called provoking against Israel in mosques, schools and the Palestinian mass media.

Israel also approved gradual lift of the siege it imposed on the Palestinian cities and villages and increased the number of Palestinians permitted to work in Israel. The Israeli forces will withdraw from certain areas in Gaza and the West Bank so as the Palestinians will be allowed carrying out their security responsibilities in these areas and preventing the Palestinian operations.

However, Sharon warned that if the Palestinians fail in preventing real threats against the Israelis as from areas under their control, the Israeli army will not hesitate to act. On the Palestinian side, the Palestinian minister of information Nabil Amre said that the Israelis agreed to release Palestinian detainees including Teiser Khaled member of the PLO executive committee and Ahmad Jebara Abu Sukkar who was arrested by Israel 27 years ago.

Member of the Palestinian legislative council Saeb Oreikat said that the "ball is now in the court of the US President George Bush who can translate items of the roadmap into reality if he comes to mechanisms and sends observers to follow up the implementation of the agreements."

In the first reaction from the Palestinian resistance movement, the leading figure in the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas Abdul Aziz al-Ranteisi described the "roadmap" as a conspiracy. He added what we see of Sharon is a "deception," noting the declaration of the Israeli prime minister before the meeting that he will not give up Jerusalem.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli tanks in Jenin; 3 Palestinian killed; five buildings demolished   (5/30/2003)
  Two Palestinians killed, Palestinian houses bombarded, new Israeli settlement in Hebron   (5/29/2003)
  Israeli government approves the roadmap by majority of 12 votes   (5/26/2003)
  Oreikat resigns on the wake of Abu Mazin - Sharon meeting   (5/17/2003)

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