Bush renews Middle East peace efforts, conference
Palestine-Regional-USA, Politics, 7/16/2007

US President George W. Bush has called for a Middle East peace conference this fall to be led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and include Palestinians, Israelis and regional neighbors who support creation of a Palestinian state.

"The international community must rise to the moment and provide decisive support to responsible Palestinian leaders working for peace," Bush said today.

Since the seizure of Gaza by Hamas in June, the United States has joined the international community in bolstering the Palestinian Authority administration of President Mahmoud Abbas, who dismissed the Hamas-dominated "unity government" and appointed a new government headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a former World Bank economist.

A new government brings new opportunities for peace, Bush said, through the creation of a democratic Palestinian state that can live peacefully beside a secure Israel, in what diplomats have called the two-state solution. "By supporting the reforms of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, we can help them show the world what a Palestinian state would look like and act like," Bush said.

Bush called on the Palestinians to embrace a future of decency and hope, and reject the future of terror and death being offered by Hamas. He said that involves arresting terrorists, confiscating illegal weapons and earning the trust of citizens by confronting corruption.

He also appealed to Israel to find ways to reduce its presence in the West Bank, while preserving its security. "Unauthorized outposts should be removed and settlement expansion ended," Bush said.

Bush pledged more than $190 million in US assistance to the Abbas government this year, which includes funds for humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip. In addition, he announced an initiative by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to raise $228 million in commercial loans to encourage economic development in the Palestinian Territories.

The United States also will redouble its diplomatic engagement to help Israeli and Palestinian leaders define the political horizon of a long term settlement, Bush said, and pressure Hamas to abandon and reject violence, accept the Abbas government, and permit humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

Bush also reiterated support for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as he starts his new job as peace envoy for the Quartet for Middle East peace, a multilateral group including the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. The group meets July 19 in Portugal to discuss the latest steps in the peace process.

Bush praised the Arab League for restarting its drive for peace in the region, and urged it to do more by increasing aid and trade opportunities for the Palestinians, toning down anti-Israel rhetoric in the official media and stepping up contacts with Israel.

Bush said "Arab states have a pivotal role to play, as well.  They should show strong support for President Abbas's government and reject the violent extremism of Hamas.  They should use their resources to provide much-needed assistance to the Palestinian people.  Nations like Jordan and Egypt, which are natural gateways for Palestinian exports, should open up trade to create opportunities on both sides of the border."

He added "Arab nations should also take an active part in promoting peace negotiations.  Re-launching the Arab League initiative was a welcome first step.  Now Arab nations should build on this initiative -- by ending the fiction that Israel does not exist, stopping the incitement of hatred in their official media, and sending cabinet-level visitors to Israel.  With all these steps, today's Arab leaders can show themselves to be the equals of peacemakers like Anwar Sadat and King Hussein of Jordan."

Bush said "The conflict in Gaza and the West Bank today is a struggle between extremists and moderates.  And these are not the only places where the forces of radicalism and violence threaten freedom and peace.  The struggle between extremists and moderates is also playing out in Lebanon -- where Hezbollah and Syria and Iran are trying to destabilize the popularly elected government.  The struggle is playing out in Afghanistan -- where the Taliban and al Qaeda are trying to roll back democratic gains.  And the struggle is playing out in Iraq -- where al Qaeda, insurgents, and militia are trying to defy the will of nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a free future."

Bush went on to blame Hamas

Bush said "Ceding any of these struggles to extremists would have deadly consequences for the region and the world.  So in Gaza and the West Bank and beyond, the international community must stand with the brave men and women who are working for peace.

Bush said "Since then, many changes have come -- some hopeful, some dispiriting.  Israel has taken difficult actions, including withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.  Palestinians have held free elections, and chosen a president committed to peace.  Arab states have put forward a plan that recognizes Israel's place in the Middle East.  And all these parties, along with most of the international community, now share the goal of a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state -- a level of consensus never before seen on this crucial issue. The past five years have also brought developments far too familiar in the recent history of the region.  Confronted with the prospect of peace, extremists have responded with acts of aggression and terror.  In Gaza, Hamas radicals betrayed the Palestinian people with a lawless and violent takeover.  By its actions, Hamas has demonstrated beyond all doubt that it is [more] devoted to extremism and murder than to serving the Palestinian people."

Worth noting that Bush mentioned that Abbas was elected democraticaly but nut did not say so of Hamas, who he blamed as having peretuated the violence. Bush also did not speak of President Abbas's recent cancelation of non governmental organizations licenses, or Abbas attempt to cancel civil courts for military courts as has been reported, in what was described as an attempt to disregard the rule of law, in efforts to gain control, according to a recent NPR (National Public Radio report).

NPR reported on Thursday that "Earlier this week, Abbas gave military courts in the West Bank powers to crack down on suspected Hamas supporters. He is also under attack for trying to undermine the power of the Palestinian Legislative Council," where Hamas holds a majority. NPR added that Hamas legislators "boycotted a session Wednesday that was called by Abbas to extend the emergency government he formed after last month's bloody showdown in Gaza. Without the parliament's stamp of approval, Abbas is likely to extend the government with a presidential decree — a move some here see as unconstitutional."

Bush said "In the face of chaos and murder, we stand on the side of law and justice. And in the face of terror and cynicism and anger, we stand on the side of peace in the Holy Land."

Today also, the US Department Of State Spokesman Sean McCormack said about this new US effort "the Secretary believes deeply, and I think you will hear from the President as well on this score, that it is very important to try to move forward not only the institution-building track, which Prime Minister Blair is going to be working on, but the political track, and to try to work with the Israelis, the Palestinians, as well as neighbors in the region to move that track forward. It is important in its own right, without respect to Iraq or Lebanon or any other place in the Middle East, to try to resolve this longstanding conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It is important for the Israeli people, it is important for the Palestinian people. Both of those populations have waited too long for an agreement that would allow them to live in peace and security and really get on with the daily task of building a better country for themselves -- better countries for themselves."

McCormack added "But it does certainly, broadly speaking, get to an issue that has, over recent years, come more and more to the fore and that is the issue of fighting against the ideology of violent extremism. And certainly, we want to associate ourselves with those who have an interest in resolving the differences peacefully via the negotiating table and advocating for democratic reforms, economic reforms that benefit the populations in the region; that, as opposed to those who want to resort to the use of violence and terror to try to achieve what they refer to are political ends. So in a broader sense, yes, this -- you can associate our efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in that larger framework, but it's not directly connected to Iraq or any other issue."

Asked about reports of last week of Secretary Rice's resisting efforts to broaden Tony Blair, McCormack said "I don't think Tony Blair has said that he is seeking to broaden his mandate. I don't think we've heard that from Tony Blair." Blair had received European criticism for disregarding international law and was therefore seen as unfit to hold the position he was given in the Palestinian -Israeli conflict.

Previous Stories:
  Fresh US and European efforts to settle the Palestinian - Israeli issue   (7/9/2007)
  Rice urges continued Israeli-Palestinian dialogue   (6/12/2007)
  Olmert: Arab peace initiative positive, rejects 'right of return'   (5/7/2007)

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