Seraphim
11-12-2003, 07:33 AM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031112/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians&cid=540&ncid=716
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia on Wednesday called for an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire with Israel and a return to peace talks based on President Bush (news - web sites)'s vision for two states.
"To the Israelis, we want peace and security and independence that will not be realized unless we work together," Qureia said. "Let's help each other stop this cycle of hell."
Qureia issued the call at a parliamentary session at which he was expected to win approval for his new Cabinet, replacing the temporary emergency government he has led since last month.
His new government was to be sworn in immediately if lawmakers vote to approve it later Wednesday, ending a two-month Palestinian political stalemate that has stymied talks on stopping three years of conflict and implementing the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.
Qureia said he seeks a timetable "to implement mutual obligations of the 'road map' beginning with an agreement for a mutual and comprehensive cease-fire."
Both sides to date have ignored their key obligations under the "road map" plan, and Qureia repeatedly has said that he won't forcibly dismantle militant groups. But Israeli officials — under pressure to end three years of violence — have indicated some willingness to engage the new Palestinian premier.
Qureia has said he wants a cease-fire involving Israel and Palestinian militant groups to pave the way for negotiations on implementing the peace plan.
His speech Wednesday included some harsh criticism of Israel's policies. He called on Israel to stop Jewish settlement of the West Bank and Gaza and the construction of a contentious security barrier that dips in areas deep into the West Bank — which he referred to as a "Berlin wall" and an "apartheid wall."
Israel says the massive barrier — which is to stretch along several hundred miles of fences, walls and trenches — is needed to keep suicide bombers away from its cities. The Palestinians say that the planned path of the barrier breaks up their territory, cuts farmers from their fields and amounts to an enormous land grab.
Still, Qureia also made many gestures toward Israel.
He called for Palestinian security forces to be consolidated and urged Palestinian militant groups to end all violence.
"Our fate is to live together on this land for us and our dreams, for our sons and grandsons ... instead of violence and terrorism," Qureia said.
The road map peace plan — authored by the United States, the United Nations (news - web sites), the European Union (news - web sites) and Russia — paves the way for an end to violence and a Palestinian state by 2005. In the interim, Israel is to freeze settlement construction and the Palestinian security forces are to dismantle militant groups.
Qureia's Cabinet was expected to win approval, despite reservations about its makeup and Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s continued prominent role and control of security forces. Israel and the United States have accused Arafat of stoking terrorism and hoped to sideline him.
Earlier Wednesday, Arafat also called for an end to the violence with Israel, saying that "the time has come between us and you Israelis ... to get out of this cycle of destructive war." Arafat has made such statements in the past, but he now faces growing calls among Palestinians to make concrete moves to end the bloodshed.
Qureia said the Palestinian leadership has made mistakes over the past three years and must move quickly to correct them.
"Our accomplishments rooted with blood and tears ... are liable to vanish and totally collapse if we don't carry out the necessary review and don't take the initiative to correct our mistakes and upgrade our performance."
He did not elaborate, but Palestinian leaders have grown weary over the continued violence with Israel, which has claimed thousands of lives.
Qureia tried for a month and failed to form a Cabinet, then served for another month under an Arafat emergency decree that expired last week. He broke the standoff Sunday by giving in to Arafat on the crucial question of Palestinian security and police, effectively leaving the veteran leader in indirect control of most of the myriad forces.
That dismayed both Israel and the United States, but Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) has said, however, that he is ready to meet with Qureia and give him the benefit of the doubt. Palestinian Cabinet secretary Hassan Abu Libdeh said U.S. officials told him they would give Qureia some leeway.
"The Americans were not content with the formation of the government, but they said they would judge the government by its performance, by its actions," Abu Libdeh said.
The militant group Hamas said Wednesday it would consider entering a new truce with the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) to end attacks on Israelis but expressed reservations over its chances of success.
Adnan Asfour, a Hamas spokesman in the West Bank, said in a statement that the group was "was ready to study any new hudna (cease-fire) offer and would respond after studying it."
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed Palestinian groups agreed to a cease-fire on June 29 in an attempt to give former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' government a chance to succeed. However, the truce unraveled in a new wave of violence six weeks later and Abbas' government collapsed shortly afterward.
Israeli officials say they will welcome Palestinian efforts to end the violence, but they remain firm in their demand that Palestinians dismantle militant organizations, as required by the "road map." Qureia has said he will not use force against the militants.
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia on Wednesday called for an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire with Israel and a return to peace talks based on President Bush (news - web sites)'s vision for two states.
"To the Israelis, we want peace and security and independence that will not be realized unless we work together," Qureia said. "Let's help each other stop this cycle of hell."
Qureia issued the call at a parliamentary session at which he was expected to win approval for his new Cabinet, replacing the temporary emergency government he has led since last month.
His new government was to be sworn in immediately if lawmakers vote to approve it later Wednesday, ending a two-month Palestinian political stalemate that has stymied talks on stopping three years of conflict and implementing the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.
Qureia said he seeks a timetable "to implement mutual obligations of the 'road map' beginning with an agreement for a mutual and comprehensive cease-fire."
Both sides to date have ignored their key obligations under the "road map" plan, and Qureia repeatedly has said that he won't forcibly dismantle militant groups. But Israeli officials — under pressure to end three years of violence — have indicated some willingness to engage the new Palestinian premier.
Qureia has said he wants a cease-fire involving Israel and Palestinian militant groups to pave the way for negotiations on implementing the peace plan.
His speech Wednesday included some harsh criticism of Israel's policies. He called on Israel to stop Jewish settlement of the West Bank and Gaza and the construction of a contentious security barrier that dips in areas deep into the West Bank — which he referred to as a "Berlin wall" and an "apartheid wall."
Israel says the massive barrier — which is to stretch along several hundred miles of fences, walls and trenches — is needed to keep suicide bombers away from its cities. The Palestinians say that the planned path of the barrier breaks up their territory, cuts farmers from their fields and amounts to an enormous land grab.
Still, Qureia also made many gestures toward Israel.
He called for Palestinian security forces to be consolidated and urged Palestinian militant groups to end all violence.
"Our fate is to live together on this land for us and our dreams, for our sons and grandsons ... instead of violence and terrorism," Qureia said.
The road map peace plan — authored by the United States, the United Nations (news - web sites), the European Union (news - web sites) and Russia — paves the way for an end to violence and a Palestinian state by 2005. In the interim, Israel is to freeze settlement construction and the Palestinian security forces are to dismantle militant groups.
Qureia's Cabinet was expected to win approval, despite reservations about its makeup and Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s continued prominent role and control of security forces. Israel and the United States have accused Arafat of stoking terrorism and hoped to sideline him.
Earlier Wednesday, Arafat also called for an end to the violence with Israel, saying that "the time has come between us and you Israelis ... to get out of this cycle of destructive war." Arafat has made such statements in the past, but he now faces growing calls among Palestinians to make concrete moves to end the bloodshed.
Qureia said the Palestinian leadership has made mistakes over the past three years and must move quickly to correct them.
"Our accomplishments rooted with blood and tears ... are liable to vanish and totally collapse if we don't carry out the necessary review and don't take the initiative to correct our mistakes and upgrade our performance."
He did not elaborate, but Palestinian leaders have grown weary over the continued violence with Israel, which has claimed thousands of lives.
Qureia tried for a month and failed to form a Cabinet, then served for another month under an Arafat emergency decree that expired last week. He broke the standoff Sunday by giving in to Arafat on the crucial question of Palestinian security and police, effectively leaving the veteran leader in indirect control of most of the myriad forces.
That dismayed both Israel and the United States, but Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) has said, however, that he is ready to meet with Qureia and give him the benefit of the doubt. Palestinian Cabinet secretary Hassan Abu Libdeh said U.S. officials told him they would give Qureia some leeway.
"The Americans were not content with the formation of the government, but they said they would judge the government by its performance, by its actions," Abu Libdeh said.
The militant group Hamas said Wednesday it would consider entering a new truce with the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) to end attacks on Israelis but expressed reservations over its chances of success.
Adnan Asfour, a Hamas spokesman in the West Bank, said in a statement that the group was "was ready to study any new hudna (cease-fire) offer and would respond after studying it."
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed Palestinian groups agreed to a cease-fire on June 29 in an attempt to give former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' government a chance to succeed. However, the truce unraveled in a new wave of violence six weeks later and Abbas' government collapsed shortly afterward.
Israeli officials say they will welcome Palestinian efforts to end the violence, but they remain firm in their demand that Palestinians dismantle militant organizations, as required by the "road map." Qureia has said he will not use force against the militants.