Sharon says Israel not to attend London conference

Ma'ariv ^ | 20 December 2004 | Ilil Shahar

[anotherview]

Sharon says Israel not to attend London conference

According to the prime minister, who spoke with reporters, “We have no objection to this conference but we will not take part”.
Ilil Shahar

PM Ariel Sharon.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Monday that Israel would not participate in the London Middle East Peace Conference slated to take place next month.

After several reports, especially in the British press, suggested that Israel would send representatives to the conference, Sharon clarified the issue this afternoon in Jerusalem.

According to the prime minister, who spoke with reporters during a meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, “We have no objection to this conference but we will not take part”.

Sharon said that Israel did not view the conference as an international political event. He noted that it would be a good opportunity to solve the PA’s economic problems and deal with the issue of the much-needed reforms, but stressed that security-related matters “would only be debated with Israel”.

British PM Tony Blair would ideally have liked to have a full-scale Middle East peace conference, but neither Israel nor the US was prepared to support him.

Instead, the conference is to be confined to reforms of the Palestinian Authority's system of government, its economy and the Palestinian security services to enable them to establish law and order.

(2004-12-20 00:01:29.0)

[anotherview]

A peace conference is only useful if both sides are willing to make peace. I see no evidence that the Palestinians are willing to accept anything that does not amount to the end of Israel existing as a Jewish state. President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon have gotten this right. Prime Minister Blair has good intentions but has gotten this wrong.

[SunkenCiv]

"I see no evidence that the Palestinians are willing to accept anything that does not amount to the end of Israel existing as a Jewish state."

Well said.

"security-related matters 'would only be debated with Israel'... the conference is to be confined to reforms of the Palestinian Authority's system of government, its economy and the Palestinian security services to enable them to establish law and order."

Since the PLO is the antithesis of law and order, good luck with that. I think Sharon's on the right semantic track -- continously and unequivocally equating PLO violence of all kinds with a breakdown in law and order. It was probably inevitable that the so-called PA would alienate its "own people" after it got control of a part of them. That's exactly what has happened.

But, of course, the Moslems, in their never-ending quest to avoid reality, blame Israel for the violence, despite the fact that Israel is merely defending itself.

[anotherview]

ping