Posted on 07/23/2005 8:08:39 AM PDT by E Rocc
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Saturday the United States wanted to make sure Israel did not keep the Gaza Strip sealed up after its planned withdrawal, echoing a key Palestinian concern.
On a hastily arranged mission to preserve a truce shaken by violence and ensure militant attacks do not hamper Israel's pullout next month, Rice repeated praise for Palestinian efforts on security while adding that more needed to be done.
Her clearest statement yet supporting the Palestinian demand for freedom of movement from Gaza followed a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank -- the other occupied territory the Palestinians want for their state.
"When the Israelis withdraw from Gaza, it cannot be sealed or isolated ... with the Palestinian people closed in after the withdrawal," Rice told a news conference.
"We are committed to connectivity between Gaza and the West Bank and we are committed to openness and freedom of movement for the Palestinian people," she said.
Israel has said it will keep control of Gaza's air and sea space for security reasons, though troops are expected to leave the border with Egypt. There is no Israeli agreement yet on how the Gaza Strip and West Bank might be linked.
The United States sees Israel's withdrawal from the 21 Gaza settlements and four of the 120 in the West Bank as a step toward reviving talks on a "road map" for a Palestinian state and broader peace in the Middle East.
Palestinians welcome the first removal of Jewish settlements from land they seek for a state, but fear Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will strengthen the Israeli hold on the West Bank under what he bills "disengagement" from conflict.
Palestinian officials told Rice that Israel had not done enough to discuss key aspects of the plan.
"Coordinating the Israeli withdrawal from the outset is extremely vital," said Abbas.
DOUBTS ON COOPERATION
Rice held talks with Sharon at his ranch on Friday to push for close coordination, which was given a knock recently by the worst outbreak of violence since the two sides agreed to a cease-fire in February.
Rice said Israelis and Palestinians still "need to provide answers to each other" though she was generally upbeat.
But one Palestinian official complained that Rice had not brought answers from Israel about border crossings, the airport and safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank. She urged the United States to influence its key ally Israel.
"That leverage, that ability to influence, is not being exerted in its full force and we are hoping to see more," Diana Butto told Reuters.
Before leaving the region on Sunday, Rice was scheduled to meet Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.
Israel's main concern right now is that Palestinian militant attacks do not hamper the Gaza withdrawal while security forces are also coping with resistance from settlers and mass protests by their supporters.
Abbas's forces face a challenge from powerful militant groups like Hamas, even though they have agreed to the truce.
Police trying to stop rocket fire at Israel fought with militants this week in the worst internal clashes for years. The Palestinians eventually agreed to stop fighting each other while Israel put an offensive on hold as rocket attacks ebbed.
Israel has criticized Abbas for talking to the militants rather than crushing them and said there can be no statehood talks until the armed factions are dismantled.
Sharon's opponents on the far right say the withdrawal will reward the militants, who themselves claim it as a victory for their uprising. Religious ultranationalists also see land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war as a gift from God.
Some 8,500 settlers would leave Gaza, home to 1.4 million Palestinians, but only a few hundred of more than 230,000 settlers will be removed from the West Bank where they live alongside 2.4 million Palestinians.
Ya, freedom for ChiChi Le Palestinia as she does her Gaza Strip.
consistent US policy regarding Israel and the PalestiniansThe Palis involved in the deal have been fighting against the terrorists. If a suicide bomber slips through, the Israelis kill him. Abbas isn't omniscient.U.S. demands more Israeli concessions for the Palestinians.
U.S. requires no reciprocal concessions from the Palestinians.
Yep, real balanced and consistent
-Eric
-Eric
Gangstas have been known to fight amongst themselves over loot. It has nothing to do with keeping agreements made to Israel, something which only clueless dolts imagine they have ever done, or tried to do.
If a suicide bomber slips through, the Israelis kill him.
Usually they don't kill him (or her, as the case may be) the bomber is incarcerated and then turned loose at the next "goodwill" prisoner mass release.
Basically you are saying that the Israelis should have to put up with a suicide bomber here and there (several times a day) as a "price to pay" for Abbas putting on a media show "trying" to stop them.
Abbas isn't omniscient.
But the Mossad is. They can hand him a clue if he needs one, but the chances are he would use it to warn off the bad guys he is supposedly "trying" to defeat.
What is the precocious Ms Rice thinking??? Have pod people taken over her body?
As long as there are high solid walls, limited Palestinians for visitors with ill will from anywhere else, there could be very limited peace.
I don't understand it, but it brings to mind the "Polish" corridor.
Personally, Israel should clear Gaza and the West bank,
fortify the Golan and declare them ISRAEL, and make Jeruselem the capital and
tell the arabs to take the Palis off to their own countries,but they don't want them either.
But that's just my opinion.
I agree 100%.
You mean like when U.S. citizens drive from the lower '48 to the state of Alaska? They have to cross an international border, go through customs and everything.
But then, U.S. citizens on their way to Alaska are not in the habit of shooting and blowing up random Canadians in Vancouver.
the world is going to hell around us and they still think screwing israel will stop it!
Yet another reason why I'm fed up with this administration.
How dare the US sanction the evil that is going on during this pullout? Digging up graves and destroying temples??? If that happened to the muslims there would be an outcry from the UN and other world powers...but because it's Israel it's suddenly ok... disgusting@! Shame on the anti-semitic world powers! Shame on the Bush administration for not speaking out against this outrage!
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