Baz urges Israel to stop blocking peace process

Presidential Political Advisor Osama el-Baz called on Israel to stop adopting measures and policies that impede the peacemaking, as the region is in dire need for the continuation of the peace process.

In statements before leaving yesterday for Frankfurt, Baz said Israel's settlement activities in particular contaminate the peace atmosphere and cast doubt on Israel's credibility especially at the current critical phase of final-status talks.

"Such measures also ruin the credibility of the peace process while we are in crucial need of providing an atmosphere appropriate to help propel the peace march in the area. Israel should also stop broadcasting a stiff attitude that further delays the peacemaking," he added.

On the Syrian track, Baz said there are indications that we are going through a critical phase, namely Israel's reluctance to respond to fundamental requirements not to say conditions for the sake of success of talks.

"There are two main requisites in particular, namely to resume negotiations from where they were halted in March 1996, and to restart talks on the basis of Madrid, which is a logical matter," he added.