Prime Miniser Ariel Sharon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ahead of their talks in Jerusalem on Sunday.
(AP)
Condoleezza Rice laying a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem on Sunday.
(Reuters)
Posted on 02/06/2005 12:53:43 PM PST by anotherview
Last Update: 06/02/2005 20:55
Rice urges Israel to avoid unilateral steps on J'lem
By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent Haaretz Staff and Agencies
Prime Miniser Ariel Sharon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ahead of their talks in Jerusalem on Sunday.
Condoleezza Rice laying a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem on Sunday.
(AP)
(Reuters)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and President Moshe Katsav, and urged them to maintain the status quo over Jerusalem, and avoid taking any unilateral steps on the disputed capital which could harm Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli sources said Rice was referring to the government's decision from last summer to apply the absentee property law to tens of thousands of dunams (acres) of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz last week instructed Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order an immediate halt to the application of the law. The sources said Rice may also have been referring to the decision to build the separation fence in Jerusalem, and to expand Jewish neighborhoods in the city.
Rice said Sunday that the disengagement plan is an historic opportunity, and that the future security of Palestinians and Israelis will be ensured only by two states exisiting side by side.
In an interview with TV Channel 2 Rice emphasized the importance of direct contact between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, and minimum involvement of mediators such as the U.S.
When asked about the right of return for Palestinian refugees, the secretary of state said that while new demographic realities since 1967 must be taken into account, the parties must reach an agreement accommodating to the needs of them both.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who was the first Israeli official to meet with Rice on Sunday, told the secretary of state, "Israel will not relinquish its sovereignty over Jerusalem. The issue of Jerusalem will be left to the final status agreement, but we have to intention to harm the Palestinians."
Rice also said that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan must be implemented without delay, and carried out according to its timetable. She told Shalom that Abu Mazen [Abbas] was elected through democratic elections and he needs as much help as possible to give a firm basis to his leadership. Shalom responded that "the pain of the settlers [to be evacuated under the plan] must be understood and empathy must be shown. These people do not know where they will live or where they will work.
Rice arrived in Israel in an optimistic mood Sunday afternoon, as she prepared for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials two days before the first official Middle East summit since the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat last November.
Her first stop was a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, where she laid a wreath inside the Hall of Remembrance.
She then met with Shalom, followed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. She is also due to meet President Moshe Katsav later Sunday.
Ahead of their meeting, Sharon said he was sure his talks with Rice would "contribute to the friendly relations between the two countries." Sharon said he also expected her visit to contribute to the peace process, "which we want to very much want to push forward in the region."
In response, Rice said U.S.-Israel relations were solid "because we share not just interests but values." She said her goal was to "try to advance the cause of peace and to overcome the scourge of terrorism."
Before meeting Shalom, Rice said, "we will ask of our partners and our friends in Israel that Israel continues to make the hard decisions that must be taken in order to promote peace and... the emergence of a democratic Palestinian state.
"This is a time of optimism because fundamental changes are underway in the Middle East as a whole," she added.
After their meeting, Shalom told Channel 2 television that he gave Rice Israel's demands of the Palestinians.
"If the Palestinians do not to everything to halt the smuggling of weapons through tunnels, close the tunnels, close the weapons workshops, gather up illegal weapons - we would simply be giving the violent groups time to regroup and then carry out terror attacks that could collapse the whole process," he said.
On Monday, Rice will travel to the West Bank city of Ramallah for talks with Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.
Tuesday's summit, hosted and initiated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, will be attended by Sharon, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah.
Although the U.S. has said that the secretary of state will not attend the talks, her agenda is likely to include in part a review of the plans for the summit.
Rice has signaled she prefers to see Sharon and Abbas make progress as free of foreign mediation as possible.
"I hope we would all get into a mind-set that says if the parties are able to continue to move on their own, that's the very best outcome," Rice told reporters en route to Ankara, the stop before Israel.
Preparations for the Egypt summit are being finalized, but not before her arrival.
Israeli officials assessed that the secretary of state would commend both sides on their recent efforts.
Paul Patin, a spokesman of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, said Rice would bring up a wide range of issues, including Israel's commitment under the internationally backed road map peace plan to dismantle dozens of unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts and Israeli gestures to the Palestinians, such as the removal of Israeli checkpoints that disrupt Palestinian travel - gestures that would bolster confidence in the new Palestinian leadership.
"Outposts are something that they promised to remove years ago and we expect them to abide by their commitments," Patin said.
She is also expected to call on the Palestinians to do more to restore security and bring an end to violence.
For their part, the Americans are trying to play down Rice's absence from the Egyptian summit.
"It is not necessary to participate at the highest level in every gathering in order to be a major player and part of the solution," a State Department spokesman explained Saturday.
In Israel, police raised their level of operations in various regions around the country Sunday, in anticipation of Rice's arrival and the run-up to Tuesday's summit.
Police decided to bolster forces around the country and checkpoints were set up between the seam line and various Israeli cities. Police will conduct both regular and undercover patrols.
Sharon may invite Mubarak Israeli officials, meanwhile, said Sunday that Sharon may invite his Egyptian counterpart to visit Israel during Tuesday's summit, as relations between the former enemies continue to flourish.
The invitations "is quite likely," said an unnamed official. "We would very much like him to come."
In recent months relations have improved as Egypt took a larger role in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians. The last visit by an Egyptian leader to Israel was by Mubarak in 1995, when he came to the funeral of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Ah, and as to the "Sunsong" post to you: read through the thread. It's trolling for allies. I leave it for you to judge the truth of those silly assertions...
As a self-proclaimed "Christian" - (Mr. Kerry claimed to be one, too, btw) - what do you think is the greatest commandment?
peddle your bilge elsewhere, and among those who don't know any better. Thank-you.
And this not-so-jovial one has shown himself to be a fraud. He's about as "Christian" as Ted Kennedy is.
Given the kind of "peace" I suspect you're "enamored" of, most reasoning people will opt for the latter.
I checked out your profile page, and couldn't help but laugh at your offering there (as if your FR screename wasn't a sure clue pointed in an obvious direction).
One wonders: who're you trying to kid?*
*(for anyone wondering, FReepmail me for details; I'll be happy to clarify)
What is the greatest commandment?
Sad, indeed. I'm witnessing it.
It is truly sad to look at your posts. Your arrogance is off the charts - and you really have nothing of value to say. You seem to feed off of cheap shots and ridicule. Please enlighten me as to where in the "good book" it says to behave like that.
For Christians, it's "Love thy neighbor as thyself," of course.
In your case, though, I'd recommend "Sober up, and sleep it off" as a good start towards that laudable goal...
Oh, so you have peeked in the Book, then, or heard it somewhere :-)
I'd be so interested in hearing your (clever, I'm sure) justification for behaving in exactly the opposite way. Will you define "love" as ridicule? Will you claim that only some people are "your neighbor"? Will you excuse your haughtiness as the way you "love" yourself?
I can't wait to hear your response...
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Dervish, let me tell you that Secretary Rice has explicitly thanked Germany for its "great efforts" in the WOT and for the continuing "friendship" between our nations. Yes, you´ve read it correct, even Sec Rice - and not "only" former Sec Powell - called Germany a friend.
May I let you know that it was Washington DC which urged Germany NOT to build up nukes on our own, due to avoid further conflicts with the Soviets, and that the US government has given us a security guarantee for our territory. This guarantee (to defend us even with nuclear weapons in case of serious attack on our territory) is still valid. You don´t have to complain about that, it´s your governments choice - and I don´t have the impression that the presence of US troops is/was not in the interests of the White House. Since the formal end of the occupation of Germany in 1994 your troops are here by your own choice, and you are free to leave. But let me get this one clear: Germany hasn´t received one cent for our own military.
"As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools" (Proverbs 26:9)
That bit of wisdom is one that I find often eludes many...
Again, are you afraid to answer, or just ashamed? Here I'll repeat it for you:
For Christians, it's "Love thy neighbor as thyself," of course.
Oh, so you have peeked in the Book, then, or heard it somewhere :-)
I'd be so interested in hearing your (clever, I'm sure) justification for behaving in exactly the opposite way. Will you define "love" as ridicule? Will you claim that only some people are "your neighbor"? Will you excuse your haughtiness as the way you "love" yourself? Or do you consider yourself "too good" to stoop so low actually living the commandment? Or is it that you don't feel adequate in the role of loving person?
I can't wait to hear your response...
I'm just sure, by this point, that you can't. But you'll have to get by the best you can. I'm done here.
Chatting the morning hours away with borderline loons has never appealed to me, somehow, as difficult as that may be for you to believe, and grasp as a concept...
I just figured you could have stated your case with a little less vitriol.
Since it's Monday, and you don't have anything much to offer from your armchair this morning save more of the same, kindly go straight to hell.
You're an a$$hole with a chip on his shoulder. I'll let Rokke deal with you. I'm done with you.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
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