A snow storm hits Israeli government after Cook's political storm
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/18/1998

It was an unexpected gift from heaven. The snowstorm that hit the Middle East and disrupted life in Palestine, Jordan and Israel was a good chance for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel his schedule for Wednesday and spend some time with his family. Following the diplomatic storm that hit Israel during and after the visit of British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, a snow storm was less problematic and even gave a golden pretext to Netanyahu to skip political activities. The Israeli inner cabinet which was supposed to discuss ideas of an Israeli unilateral withdrawal from South Lebanon was canceled and the controversy on Lebanon was put on hold, for now.

Following his meeting with Cook Tuesday night, Netanyahu told his aides that he would have a "serious telephone conversation" with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Apparently he hoped to hear things that contravened what Cook told him, precisely on the question of Jewish settlement activities in the Palestinian territories. But on Wednesday, Blair was quoted as saying that he stands fully behind his foreign secretary and that Cook enjoys the full backing of the British Cabinet. This statement perhaps explained why in Syria and Palestine, Cook's visit was seen as positive and fruitful.

Palestinian chief negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekat said that Cook brought with him six European principles to save the peace process and move it out of the present impasse. Erekat said that Europe so far is not going to come forward with an initiative of its own but the set of ideas Cook brought with him to the region will be presented to the US in a few days when Cook visits Washington. "Only if the US refrains from presenting an initiative of its own," said Erekat, "Europe then might form a new peace initiative and present it to all sides of the conflict in the Middle East."

After his meeting in Gaza with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, the British foreign secretary was quoted as saying that he has already sent a letter to his US counterpart, Madeleine Albright, in which he said that any US initiative should include the following points:

-Cessation of all Jewish settlement activities and unilateral steps taken by either the Palestinian government or Israel.
-Considerable scope of further Israeli troop redeployment in the West Bank based on the three phases that were agreed upon in the interim agreements between the Palestinians and Israel.
-The implementation of the outstanding clauses of the interim agreements and Europe is ready to join a quadruple US-Israeli-Palestinian-European forum to find solutions for the questions of Gaza airport and harbor, the safe passage between the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the rest of the outstanding issues.
-Europe is ready to join in security arrangements.
-Europe calls for the resumption of the final status talks once Israel is done with the three-phase redeployment of its troops and once progress is achieved on tracks of the pending issues of the interim agreement.

Dr. Nabil Shaath, a close aide to Arafat and a leading negotiator with the Israelis, said that Cook in fact has brought what can be named a European initiative and that he has already presented those ideas to both the Palestinian leadership and to Israel. According to Shaath, the points which Cook presented to the Palestinians were as follows:

1. Considerable Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank on stages covering all A, B and C areas in order to prevent isolation of Palestinian areas and to create a territorial continuity between them.
2. The implementation of the third phase redeployment before next July 20, as stated in the letter of assurances that former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher drafted along with the Hebron protocol.
3. The implementation of all pending issues of the interim agreements, including the Gaza airport and harbor, the safe passage, the industrial zone in Gaza and others.
4. The cessation of all Jewish settlement activities.
5. Commitment of both sides to the security agreement that was reached a few months ago between Palestinian and Israeli officers with the participation of US officers.
6. Resumption of the final status talks after all the above points are implemented.

Previous Stories:
  UN condemns Israeli settlement building as Cook angers Israelis   (3/18/1998)
  Diplomatic showdown between Israel and the UK   (3/17/1998)
  Europe to consider the economic stick, Cook said   (3/17/1998)

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