Action needed not talk says Palestinians to US
Palestine-Israel, International, 10/23/1997

A date has not been defined yet to resume the high-level peace talks between the PNA and Israel in Washington next week while Palestinians appear to be skeptical with regard to progress achieved in those talks. Palestinian sources said the round of talks, to be attended by PLO Executive Committee Member Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy and US Special Peace Envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross, is expected to start on October 27 but a US unnamed source said the date is not final.

Palestine's Ambassador to Washington, Hassan Abdul Rahman, told Voice of Palestine radio Thursday morning that the Israeli government continues with its settlement policy despite all peace efforts and stressed the meeting in Washington will embark on ways to stop Israel's settlement construction "regardless of the terms used, whether halting or freezing settlement activities."

Abdul Rahman called on the US Administration to translate its announced positions on Jewish settlements into action, saying the Palestinians "would like to see how a position stating that settlements do not correspond to the peace process, can be translated into action at a time Israel continues with its current settlement policy."

In its Wednesday night meeting, the PNA cabinet was briefed by President Arafat on his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and US Special Peace Envoy Dennis Ross earlier in the week. The cabinet later received reports from the negotiating committee on the latest talks held within the framework of the joint committees.

The PNA cabinet stressed that the Palestinians will resume negotiations in joint committees to implement the interim agreements, hoping to be able to achieve a breakthrough. Yet the cabinet blamed Israel for trying to negotiate new agreements on the airport and other outstanding issues, and therefore instructions were issued to Palestinian negotiators to insist on abiding by the articles in the signed agreements.

Warning that their failure would cast doubts on Israel's sincere approach to peace, the PNA hoped the Washington talks will focus on first and second phases of redeployment, cessation of Jewish settlement activities, and defining the security concept of both sides.

The PNA, meanwhile, decided to form a committee headed by President Arafat and comprising of Presidential Secretary Tayyeb Abdul Rahim and Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Abdul Rahman to prepare a set of administrative reform decisions affecting most of the government institutions and ministries. The reforms are expected to address cases of corruption and misuse of power that the PNA had lately admitted they exist within its rank and file.

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian - Israeli talks. Ross is back but no practical results   (10/22/1997)
  Arafat insists on Israeli troop redeployment in talks with Ross   (10/21/1997)
  Talks to resume next week. Obstacles remain   (9/30/1997)

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