Rice meets Abbas today
Palestine-USA, Politics, 7/23/2005

The US secretary of state Condaleezza Rice meets today with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramullah after her sudden visit to Beirut.

The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, due in August, will be at the core of Rice's talks with the Palestinian president to whom Rice will convey demands of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to that he has to spread the authority of his government and tightening his fist against Palestinian groups.

A statement issued by Sharon's office said that the Israeli prime minister stressed the need to pressure the Palestinians "so as the Israeli withdrawal will not be made under fire," in addition to what he called the obligations of the Palestinian authority towards taking a hard position towards "the terrorist organizations."

Issues to be discussed are Israeli coordination with the Palestinian authority in order to open "secure passage way" for the Palestinians between the West Bank and Gaza, as well as Washington's financing of the withdrawal plan and the transfer of military bases, and developing the areas where the Israeli settlers will be relocated to.

The Palestinian minister of information Nabil Shaath said that the Palestinian authority wants the Israeli withdrawal not to build on the concept of "Gaza first and last," rather from the concept of the peace process by halting the settlement process in West Bank, the wall of separation, and the attempts to confiscate Jerusalem, and to start the Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian cities and towns, so as to reach final solution negotiations."

On Thursday Sharon recalled that Israel is determined to keep the settlement blocs in the West Bank. His statement coincided with the UN Security Council's session, at the request of the Arab league, to discuss the wall of separation which threatens to isolate 50,000 Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

Previous Stories:
  Rice visits Palestine, Israel next week   (7/16/2005)
  Officials see better economy, security as keys to Gaza withdrawal   (7/1/2005)
  Rice in Israel, Palestinian territories; focus on end of Gaza occupation   (6/20/2005)

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