PNA rejects Israeli demands, does not expect miracles of Albright
The Palestinian National Authority Wednesday reiterated its outright rejection of demands made by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu that it arrest 1,500 Islamic activists prior to the visit to the region by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, due to arrive next Tuesday. A senior Palestinian source stressed that the PNA has done all that is required to maintain law and order and would not carry out any arbitrary arrests "jus
t for the sake of pleasing Netanyahu." The source confirmed that the PNA had lately arrested 57 activists affiliated with the Islamic opposition groups and has confiscated loads of ammunition and explosives. He noted that meetings with Israeli and US security officers have continued in what could be seen as a continuation of the three-way security coordination. "We cannot go beyond that. The Americans know that we are doing our best. It is about time to demand of Netanyahu to make a few steps forward," the official said.
US sources were quoted as saying that the Clinton Administration will only be able to demand that the Netanyahu government carry out the second phase of troop redeployment after the PNA carries out drastic measures against the Islamic groups. The sources noted, however, that during her visit to the region, Albright will not only address the security problem but also the issue of settlements. "The US demands that a freeze on settlement works be declared by the Israeli government as a sign of goodwill in order for the peace process to get off the ground," the sources said. They added that so far there is a major difference between the US stand and that of Israel with regard to Netanyahu's earlier proposal for a hasty round of final status talks between the PNA and Israel. The US, the sources confirmed, wants the final status talks to open in parallel with the implementation of the outstanding clauses of the interim agreement between the two sides, while Netanyahu wants a total freeze on the implementation of the interim clauses pending the outcome of the final status talks.
Palestinian official sources contended that Israel should start the second phase of its troop pullout in the West Bank by September 7, according to what was stated in the original Oslo II Accords, which explicitly stated that the Israeli withdrawal, or redeployment as Israel calls it, should be carried out in three phases with a period of six months between each. Israel differs with the Palestinian demand and David Bar Ilan, Netanyahu's media advisor, said that the Hebron Accord signed earlier this year had spoken of Israeli redeployment in three phases between March 1997 and August 1998. "We decided to pick up somewhere in between and make the second phase executable by November." He added that even the November timetable "is irrelevant if the PNA does not successfully combat terror."
Commenting on the forthcoming visit by Albright, Dr. Nabil Shaath, the minister of international planning in the PNA and member of the negotiating team, said that no miracles are expected, but stressed that Albright's personal credibility is involved and "since she is coming to rescue the peace process, there is still room to assume that her visit will not end with complete failure." Shaath admitted that Albright had expressed understanding of the Palestinian demands pertaining to the second phase of Israeli troop redeployment, "But understanding our demands is one thing and exerting real pressure on Israel to carry out the redeployment is something totally different."