Neville would be proud of you Mr. Powell.
Posted on 12/05/2003 10:01:10 AM PST by yonif
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is meeting in Washington with the Israeli and Palestinian authors of an unofficial Middle East peace plan. The Israeli government opposed the meeting, and calls the plan harmful to Israel's interests. President Bush calls the private initiative "productive," and says the United States "appreciates people discussing peace." The initiative, known as the Geneva Accord, is the work of former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin and former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo. They say the plan would complement the internationally-backed "road map" to Middle East peace.
Unlike the "road map," the document unveiled Monday in Geneva offers an outline of a final peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. It calls for Israeli withdrawal from most of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and includes Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state.
The number two official in Israel's government, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, says that with the official peace process stalled, he believes Israel may have to take unilateral steps. In remarks published in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper Friday, he says Israel should annex some parts of the occupied territories and withdraw from other areas.
Separately, a dozen Palestinian factions are holding a second day of talks in Egypt about a possible cease-fire with Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia was expected to join the talks.
Hamas and other groups say Israel must end operations against militants for a Palestinian cease-fire to be considered. A senior Israeli official says the military might scale back operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, if militant groups stop attacking Israelis.
Abed Rabbo has worked alongside Yasser Arafat since the 1960s.
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