A senior Palestinian negotiator said today that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of the U.S. should put forth timetables for Palestine and Israel to meet short-term peace obligations in preparation for the Mideast Peace Conference to be held in Maryland within the next month. Palestinian leaders planned to discuss concerns today with Rice about Israel's lack of haste in accepting their obligations and beginning work toward peace negotiations. "The Palestinians have asked for a deadline for a peace deal, pointing to more than a decade of failed efforts, but Israel has rejected the idea. Israel says assurances of its determination should be enough." Unfortunately, those assurances are not enough for Palestinians now. Rice has been in the area to meet Palestinian and Israeli leaders yesterday and today, as well as to judge progress on both sides. The plan that would be set forth for both Palestine and Israel would require the following: "Israel is required to freeze settlement expansion, dismantle dozens of illegal settlement outposts, halt its frequent army raids into West Bank towns and reopen Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem. The Palestinians have to disarm militants, collect illegal weapons and reform security forces."
The issues between Palestine and Israel right now are pretty confusing. There is the Palestinian group that is ready to talk finally, and to make deals to create changes, but not until they have assurance from Israel that it, too, will change. Then there is the Israeli group that desires peace but is not showing in its actions that peace is a real priority. Why will the Israelis not commit to real peace talks? What is the problem? What other factors are influencing these issues? Rice herself said today, '"We have all waited too long for peace."' She's right. The Mideast Peace Conference to be held in a month will only be entirely possible and purposeful if all groups are doing their parts to compromise. We all have a great opportunity here to extinguish some of the problems that have plagued Palestinians, Israelis, and many others for years. I think now is definitely the time for peace.
The Associated Press
05 November 2007
The International Herald Tribune
Ramallah, West Bank
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/05/asia/mideast.php
Post 10
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