Abbas meets Bush, Israel promises positive steps
Palestine-USA, Politics, 7/26/2003

US President George W. Bush held a meeting yesterday with the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. The meeting was followed by a press conference.

Bush said in his speech that the government of Israel recognizes the right of the Palestinians to a democratic state in which they govern themselves. Bush promised to support a viable Palestinian state. Bush added that Abbas is concerned over the settlements and the confiscation of lands and that he expressed his deep desire to release the prisoners noting that he will continue to deal with this matter cautiously.

He explained that Israeli announced lifting the installed barriers in order to allow Palestinians to go for their work welcoming the Israeli steps.

For his part, the Palestinian prime minister expressed his gratitude for the American administration over offering a sum of 20 million dollars for the Palestinian Authority, noting Bush's continued efforts for the sake of peace. Abbas announced he is committed to the Roadmap plan to peace.

He said the Palestinian authority is ready to implement its obligations and called for the need of releasing the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, breaking the siege off Arafat, facilitate the movement of the Palestinians, and better humanitarian conditions. Abbas criticized the policy of confiscating lands and building the separation wall, He called for the foundation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital.

This is, however, the first time in which the US President receives the Palestinian official at the White House after he had met with him at the beginning of June at the two summits of Sharm esh Sheikh in Egypt and al-Aqaba in Jordan.

Meantime, the Israeli government promised it will take measures aiming at giving a push forward to negotiations with the Palestinian national authority. A statement issued by the Israeli government yesterday said that the measures include releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdrawal from two cities in the West Bank.

The statement indicated that defining the two cities and the timing of withdrawal from them will be discussed next week in a meeting to be held between the Israeli defense minister and the Palestinian minister of the interior.

The statement said that Israel decided to dismantle three military check points at main roads in the West Bank. The statement also said that Israel intends to give 8000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza a permission to enter Israel and also to introduce facilitation on the entry of commodity to the Palestinian territories and to release 16 million dollars of assets held by it and owned to the Palestinian authority.

Israeli political sources said that the security departments recommended to release 600 Palestinian detainees, including detainees from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

The Israeli sources indicated that releasing those detainees is expected to be made after the return back of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon from Washington.

Worthy mentioning that several members of the Israeli government which will meet tomorrow oppose the release of prisoners of Hamas and al-Jihad movements.

Previous Stories:
  Sharon hails settlers, challenges roadmap on settlements, bluffs world on outposts as outrageous reactions aroused   (7/23/2003)
  Abbas visits Egypt, and Jordan before Washington   (7/19/2003)
  Bush plans to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders in Washington   (7/18/2003)
  Abed Al Razeq: Snubs the Israeli Trial of Al Burghothi   (7/16/2003)
  US effort to rescue the Roadmap, a new security failure   (7/12/2003)
  Rice to head for the region next week   (6/24/2003)

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