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[US Ambassador] Kurtzer: Road map is alive, but must be 'fleshed out'
Haaretz ^ | 17/11/2003 18:00 | Aluf Benn

Posted on 11/17/2003 2:10:55 PM PST by yonif

Addressing delegates of the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities meeting in Jerusalem, Kurtzer said that Washington was not opposed to the West Bank security fence per se, rather on the route of the project, which is projected to diverge from the pre-1967 war Green Line border eastward into West Bank territory.

"Our challenge is not to determine if the road map is alive or not alive," Kurtzer said. "Our challenge is whether or not the two sides can begin to flesh out the content of the road map."

He added that the road map in its current stage is "lacking content," but nonetheless "still has life."

Kurtzer, who said that he is working closely with road map sponsors the European Union, the United Nations, and the Russians, also said that he has met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his government in recent weeks.

"Our job is to empower alternative leadership," he said, reiterating U.S. policy to refuse political connections with Arafat.

Kurtzer said Washington "does not have a position on the fence that Israel decided to build." He added that the deliberation facing his government was tied to "the direction" that the fence takes. "It's an issue of where it should be built, not if it should be built."

Kurtzer added that his administration is dealing seriously with incitement against Jews and Israelis within the Palestinian Authority's media and educational frameworks. "This is something we should have devoted our energies to twenty-five years ago," he said. "But it's never too late."

Report: U.S. officials slam Sharon for ignoring administration Army Radio on Monday morning quoted senior U.S. officials as saying that relations between the U.S. and Israel were approaching a crisis due to the policy of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.

According to the sources, Sharon is not evacuating unauthorized outposts in the territories, is expanding settlements and is continuing with construction of the separation fence along a route that is not logical.

The prime minister isn't acting as a friend, isn't keeping promises and is ignoring the Bush administration's difficult situation in Iraq and the criticism of the president, they said.

Sharon is ignoring a series of messages and expression of administration officials, including the publicly stated support of the Geneva Accord, they also said.

Senior Foreign Ministry officials confirmed that the U.S. criticism of Israel has increased as of late, particularly in regard to unauthorized outposts, but that there was no direct conflict between the two countries.

The U.S. embassy in Israel said that there is no crisis in U.S.-Israel relations.

U.S. to support proposal seeking UN support of road map

The U.S. administration informed Israel on Sunday that it plans to support the Russian resolution seeking United Nations Security Council endorsement of the road map peace initiative.

In talks with their Israeli counterparts, U.S. administration officials said Washington would try to incorporate specific modifications in the wording of the resolution, so as to stress the importance of direct negotiations between the two sides.

In recent months the Americans have postponed discussions on the Russian resolution, and the administration has instructed UN ambassador John Negroponte to delay discussion on the proposal. But administration officials clarified that with the establishment of the new Palestinian government, they will have a hard time justifying additional delays.

In their meeting in Moscow two weeks ago, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin, to refrain from raising the resolution in the Security Council. Sharon explained that the decision would endanger Israel's security, because the agreement would be forced upon Israel, and control would be transferred to the UN.

Putin promised Sharon that Russia would not take action contradictory to Israel's position. But, after the meeting, Russia's ambassador to the UN clarified that he had not been given new instructions from Moscow, and he would continue advancing the resolution.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kurtzer; roadmap; terrorpays

1 posted on 11/17/2003 2:10:55 PM PST by yonif
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To: SJackson; Yehuda; Nachum; Paved Paradise; Mr. Mojo; Thinkin' Gal; Bobby777; adam_az; Alouette; ...
The U.S. administration informed Israel on Sunday that it plans to support the Russian resolution seeking United Nations Security Council endorsement of the road map peace initiative.

The Roadmap to Israel's suicide continues...even with the terrorism.

This was on Haaretz News Ticker a few hours ago:

U.S. officials blast Sharon for ignoring White House, not evacuating illegal outposts, continuing with fence (Army Radio)

No wonder he is meeting with the "Prime Minister" of the PLO.

2 posted on 11/17/2003 2:12:14 PM PST by yonif ("If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem, Let My Right Hand Wither" - Psalms 137:5)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
"Our challenge is not to determine if the road map is alive or not alive...Our challenge is whether or not the two sides can begin to flesh out the content of the road map."

The challenge isn't fleshing out ambassador, but rather whether or not Israel can avoid getting skinned.


4 posted on 11/17/2003 2:35:25 PM PST by SJackson
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To: yonif
The Road Map was already fleshed out... step 1 has always been getting the PA to act decisively against terrorism. Considering that it is ludicrous to expect them to do so before Arafat's death (if ever), the Road Map was DOA. Of course, I am on the record as saying so, the day it was announced, not that that was a hard one to call.
5 posted on 11/17/2003 2:58:30 PM PST by thoughtomator ("A republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: yonif
Road map is alive, but must be 'fleshed out'

Much the same thing was said about Karen Carpenter. If the Israelis don't start chowing down on Reality Sandwiches, they may well join her.

6 posted on 11/17/2003 3:32:20 PM PST by Slings and Arrows (Am Yisrael Chai!)
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To: yonif
Haaretz is far-left crapola. However this section rings true:

Army Radio on Monday morning quoted senior U.S. officials as saying that relations between the U.S. and Israel were approaching a crisis due to the policy of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.

According to the sources, Sharon is not evacuating unauthorized outposts in the territories, is expanding settlements and is continuing with construction of the separation fence along a route that is not logical.

The prime minister isn't acting as a friend, isn't keeping promises and is ignoring the Bush administration's difficult situation in Iraq and the criticism of the president, they said.

Ths Bush Administration is in full panic mode, looking for Arabs to appease, any Arabs. Naturally the coin used in Bush's appeasement is Jewish blood, as it has always been. His cowardice is revolting.

7 posted on 11/17/2003 3:40:49 PM PST by LarryM
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