Posted on 09/23/2007 3:13:12 PM PDT by decimon
UNITED NATIONS - The United States will invite 12 Arab nations, including Syria, to President Bush's Mideast peace conference this fall, a senior U.S. official said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was outlining the expected agenda for the meeting, including the invitation list, at the United Nations on Sunday to representatives of an international coalition trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the official said.
In addition to the Israelis and Palestinians, those to be invited include the diplomatic group known as the Quartet — the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia — and Arab League states studying a broader peace deal with Israel, the official said.
They are Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
They are members of a committee charged with following up an Arab League offer to recognize Israel in exchange for territory. Only two, Egypt and Jordan, have peace deals with Israel and some, notably Syria and Saudi Arabia, remain technically at war with the Jewish state.
Many Arab states have said they see no use for Bush's conference unless it has clear goals and a realistic chance of meeting them. The U.S. official said Rice believed she could allay those fears in her talks with the Quartet and the Arab League members on Sunday.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Rice had not yet made her presentation to the Quartet, its new representative to the region, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Arab diplomats.
Before the Quartet session, Rice held separate meetings with Blair and the foreign ministers from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Asked after his meeting with Rice whether Saudi Arabia would attend the conference, the Saudi, Prince Saud al-Faisal, was noncommittal.
The Palestinians want the conference to produce an outline for a peace deal; the Israelis want more vague declarations.
Rice was in the Middle East last week and plans to return to the region soon to continue the planning for the meeting.
Rice's visit last week coincided with Israel's decision to declare the Gaza Strip, which the radical Hamas movement seized in June, as "hostile territory." That designation dealt a potential blow to efforts to bolster moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who now runs only the West Bank.
Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday approved the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners in a goodwill gesture to Abbas. Palestinian officials reacted with disappointment, calling for larger steps at a time when the power struggle with Hamas and peace process are at critical points.
The U.N. meeting will set the stage for separate talks Monday involving Bush, Abbas and Blair.
(This version CORRECTS the story by changing from 11 to 12 the number of Arab states being invited and by adding Syria to the list.)
I'm sure this was supposed to read Israelis DO NOT WANT any more vague declaractions...
FReepMail to be added or removed from this pro-Israel/Judaic/Russian Jewry ping list.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
There will never be a point to having such conferences until the Arabs really believe in making peace, which means
(1) As Golda Meir famously said, they will have to love their children more than they hate Israel;
(2) They will have to fully accept not only in words but in many related DEEDS that Israel is a permanent and historical fixture in its present location;
(3) They will have to accept that there will be no “right of return” to the present territory of Israel;
(4) They will have to accept that all terrorism MUST end;
(5) They will have to accept that NO Arab/Muslim takeover of Jerusalem is possible;
(6) They will have to accept that there will be NO Syrian military presence in the Golan Heights, ever, whatever the exact “final status” of that territory may be.
If anyone can imagine how the Palestinians and the various leading Arab/Muslim states are ever going to accept something like these terms in the foreseeable future, then it is worth talking about a “peace conference.”
There can be negotiations on specifics of the final border(s) between Israel and the West Bank, but why the continual pretence by so-called world leaders that the Arab lists of demands are really to be taken seriously, unless the intent is to pressure Israel to make suicidal concessions?
But if said conferences are merely fancy ways for pressuring Israel to make suicidal concessions to people that seek her total destruction, then there is really nothing to talk about, only posturing, propaganda, and feel-good atmospherics for western politicians to pretend they are working for “peace”......
False legacy building. Repeating mistakes, failing to learn from history.
Arafat kiboshed the prior deal because he knew Clinton was at end of term and eager for the “legacy” of soving the “Middle East [sic] Crisis”.
It’s not about politics.It’s about revenge and Islam.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
----------------------------
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, no matter how many times it fails. Gotta have that little ole “legacy” no matter what! Barf-o-rama! The Amalekstinians and Ishmaelites want peace the way an elephant wants a sinus infection.
Give them the peace of the Azoic era..
Works for me!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.