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London Conference calls to establish ”viable” Palestinian state

by Al Bawaba
Israel and the Palestinian Authority should hold direct dialogue and negotiations to push the peace process forward, the sponsors of the road map plan said Tuesday. In a statement released at a Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority, the group also insisted a new Palestinian state must be "truly viable" and not consist of scattered territories.
The group, which includes the United Nations, Russia, the European Union and the United States, condemned last Friday's bombing attack in Tel Aviv and called for "immediate action by the Palestinian Authority to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators."

"Noting the fragility of the current revived momentum in discussions, the Quartet encourages the two parties to continue on the path of direct dialogue and negotiation," it said.

Earlier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair opened the global conference and said that reinvigorating the peace process to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the world's most pressing political challenge.

"There is probably no more pressing political challenge than to move this process forward," said Blair.

The British premier said the conflict was used by "fundamentalists to rally support for extremism" and that it was vital to bring peace to the region for the security of the world.

"The significance of this issue and the Middle East peace process, or frankly lack of it over the past few years, the significance of what we are discussing is not confined to Israel, to Palestine or even to the Middle East. It is something that concerns all the countries represented here today."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told the conference the Palestinian Authority had taken a final decision to unify its security services.

"The important message is our readiness to work in terms of security," Abbas said. "We ... have taken a final decision in unifying the security apparatus." "The most important of these messages is our sincere preparedness to exert 100 percent effort in the domain of security. To that end, we deployed our troops on the ground and we took a final decision concerning the consolidation of the security agencies according to the basic law. We continue to implement this decision, which also includes multiple lines of authority and reinforcing plurality."

For his part, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed the importance of establishing security on the ground. "Put simply, lack of security undermines everything," Annan said.

However, he said removal of Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks was needed to let the Palestinian economy function. "The international community must work" with Israel to bring this about, he said. "The prevailing mood is one of optimism," Annan said. "The parties have proclaimed ... their determination to work together".

Israel was not represented.

The conference was designed to help bolster the Palestinian Authority in time for Israel's proposed withdrawal of all troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip and a part of the northern West Bank, a plan expected to be carried out within months.

http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/180747
By Colin Brown and Eric Silver in Jerusalem

01 March 2005

The Palestinian meeting in London today, hosted by Tony Blair, could pave the way for a peace conference on the Middle East, the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said. Mr Blair had talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, in Downing Street to discuss the strategy for reviving the peace process, after a suicide bombing by militants in Tel Aviv on Friday was condemned as the work of "rejectionist terrorists" by the Foreign Secretary.

Mr Straw gave his backing to the hopes expressed by Mr Abbas in The Independent yesterday that the meeting will pave the way for a full peace conference under the provisions of the Middle East road map. "What we hope is that by making practical suggestions about the political institutions it will help to build confidence so that a peace conference can be held," Mr Straw said.

He recognised that thebombing in Tel Aviv provided a "sombre backdrop" to today. "There has been a continuing stream of information about the fact that a number of rejectionist terrorist groups continue to base their activities in Syria," Mr Straw said.

"I hope Syria is reassessing its strategic position. The decision of the Syrians to hand over Saddam Hussein's half-brother - he was a high-value target, high on the wanted list - may be an indication that the Syrians have decided to move." But he added: "On the basing of rejectionist terrorist groups within Syria and the continuing support for Hezbollah, but also their permissive environment for the other groups, the Syrians have a lot of work to do to convince us that has ended."

Israel left no doubt that it blamed Syria for the Tel Aviv bombing which killed five Israelis outside a disco. Israeli intelligence officers briefed ambassadors of the European Union, the G8 and the UN Security Council. They read from a transcript of an intercepted telephone call in which Ramadan Shallah, Islamic Jihad's Damascus-based leader, ordered a West Bank commander to go ahead with the bombing. The West Bank activist was not named. Officials said they hoped to make more arrests in co-operation with the Palestinian security services.

Islamic Jihad, which claimed the attack, named Abdullah Badran, a 21-year-old West Bank student, as the Tel Aviv bomber. In a video, Badran said the attack was designed to harm the Palestinian Authority, which he accused of serving the United States by opting for the diplomatic track.

Israel did not accuse President Bashar Assad of directly ordering the bombing, but Mark Regev, the foreign ministry spokesman, said: "In a regime like the Syrian regime, such an order could not come from Damascus unless the regime was acquiescing or collaborating."

Syrian officials have strenuously denied involvement, even asserting that the militias no longer maintain headquarters in their capital. A Western diplomat who was at the briefing said: "The intelligence material lent weight to what the officials were saying about the involvement of external players, but I don't think it was conclusive on its own." Syria and Israel are not at today's meeting.

Later yesterday, Israel's military spokesman said a car bomb, with 10kg of high explosive, had been stopped near the West Bank Jewish settlement of Mevo Dotan, south of Jenin. Military sources said it was linked to the Islamic Jihad cell behind the Tel Aviv bombing.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=615717
by ANGEL
Do the right thing and Peace Will Follow......
Hypocrisy and double standard do not lead to peace, and people are not blind and they can see through this.

Thirty-six years of war should be enough for such a small number of people, when you consider the World Population.
Allowing the Palestinian People to have their small state in the Whole of the West Bank and Gaza can solve this conflict.
There are 1,200,000 or so Arabs living inside Israel Proper.
There are 400,000 or so Jews living inside the West Bank and Gaza.
Trying to remove all the settlement can be an almost undoable task.
So Set the Borders for Israel to it Pre 1967 Border (Green Line) and have the State of Palestine inside the West Bank and Gaza.
If the U.N. can decide the Borders of Israel in 1948,
The U.N. can decide the Borders of Palestine in 2005.
You would end up with Israel with a majority Jewish Population and Palestine with a majority Muslim Population.
This would allow for the Israeli Military to Guard and Control the Israeli pre 1967 borders instead of confiscating Palestinian Land and Demolishing Palestinian Homes in the West Bank and Gaza that only goes to fuel the need for the Palestinian People to fight for their Freedom.
The Jews who do not like living in the new Palestinian State can feel free to move to Israel if they so choose.
The Arabs living inside Israel can feel free to move to the new Palestinian State if they so choose.
Almost every nation on earth has more then one ethnic group or religious group, so why not Israel and Palestine?
It would sure be better then the never-ending conflict we have right now.

Who has died and how in this struggle for Palestinian Freedom?
CLICK HERE > http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/deaths.html
by ANGEL
Do the Right Thing and Peace Will Follow......
Hypocrisy and double standard about Palestinian Terror do not lead to peace, and people are not blind and they can see through this.

Thirty-seven years of war should be enough for such a small number of people, when you consider the World Population.
Allowing the Palestinian People to have their small state in the Whole of the West Bank and Gaza can not in itself solve this conflict.
There are 1,200,000 or so Arab settlers living inside Israel Proper.
There are 400,000 or so Jews living inside the West Bank and Gaza.
Trying to remove all the settlements can be an almost undoable task.
So Set the Borders for Israel to somewhat beyond its Pre 1967 Border (Green Line) and have the State of Palestine inside Part of the West Bank and Gaza.
If the U.N. could decide the Borders of Israel in 1947 and fail to protect the Jews from the Arab Attack that ensued,
The U.N. can not decide the Borders of Palestine in 2005.
You would end up with Israel with a majority Jewish Population and Palestine with a majority Muslim Population.
This would allow for the Israeli Military to Guard and Control the new Israeli Borders instead of confiscating Palestinian Land and Demolishing Palestinian Homes in the West Bank and Gaza, provided the Palestinian Terrorists stop trying to rob the Israeli People of their Freedom, which only goes to fuel the Israeli reprisals.
The Jews who do not like living in the new Palestinian State can feel free to move to Israel if they so choose.
The Arab settlers living inside Israel should feel free to move to the new Palestinian State if they so choose.
Almost every nation on earth has more then one ethnic group or religious group, so why not Israel and Palestine?
It would sure be better then the never-ending Conflict we have right now.

Who has died and how in this struggle for Palestinian Murder and Destruction?
CLICK HERE > http://www.ifamericansknew.org/misleadingstats/deaths.html
THERE WILL *NEVER* BE A VIABLE PALESTINIAN STATE AS LONG AS ISRAEL HAVE **NO** REASON TO ALLOW ONE.

*THAT'S* WHY ISRAEL IS NOT EVEN THERE AT THE LONDOND CONFERENCE.

AS LONG AS THE U.S. CONTINUES TO UNEQUIVOCABLY SUPPORT ISRAEL

-- ISRAEL, LIKE A SPOILED LITTLE BRAT WITH A VERY RICH UNCLE (SAM) WHO NEVER EVEN CUTS ITS ALLOWANCE OR OTHERWISE DISCIPLINES IT

-- OR AS LONG AS NO OTHER *EXTERNAL* CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE

--LIKE ISRAEL BECOMING A INT'L PARIAH STATE LIKE THEN APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

--OR LIKE THE MIDEAST *REALLY* STARTS TO UNRAVEL, OR AL-QAEDA'S FORCES DOUBLE, IN MAJOR PART DUE TO U.S. UNEQUIVOCAL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

-- THERE WILL *NEVER* *NEVER* *NEVER* BE A VIABLE, INDEPENDENT, PALESTINIAN STATE.

ISRAEL WILL *NEVER* *NEVER* *NEVER* SERIOUSLY NEGOTIATE AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.

THIS CONFERENCE -- LIKE ALL THE OTHER "PEACE" CONFERENCES -- IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR "STALL"!

THE U.S. AND ISRAEL JUST *WANT* TO TURN ABBAS INTO ANOTHER ARAFAT: "PALESTINIAN CHIEF IN CHARGE OF POLICING PALESTINIANS FOR ISRAEL & SANITATION SERVICES".

WHEN ABBAS FAILS THE FORMER, HE WILL BECOME ANOTHER FAILED WOULD-BE U.S.-ISRAELI PUPPET COMPRADOR -- WITH NOT EVEN THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ARAFAT.
by Sefarad
"THERE WILL *NEVER* BE A VIABLE PALESTINIAN STATE AS LONG AS ISRAEL HAVE **NO** REASON TO ALLOW ONE. "

It has always been the Palestinians who didn't want a state. What they have always wanted is to destroy Israel.
by Sefarad

The EU has been financing for years the Palestinian bombs which murdered Israelis.

Hadn't the EU financed the Palestinian terrorism, the problem would have been solved years ago. But what have they been doing: they knew where the European aid went to and, however, they kept on.

As for the UN and Kofi Annan, they should be embarrassed: for them, it is more important the Palestinian economy than Israeli lives.

And, for them, it is Israel, of course, which has the problem's solution in its hands: at any rate, they have to remove the checkpoints and the wall. If Palestinian terrorists have their work easier, does it matter?

And all of this is decided without taking Israel into account.
Last Update: 02/03/2005 18:59

EU pledges full support for Palestinian state, praises Abbas

By Peter Hirschberg, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies



The European Union pledged Wednesday to boost assistance to the Palestinians, and praised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for keeping his word in restoring order since his election.




Meanwhile, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders plan to convene summit talks in Egypt on Thursday, a Palestinian cabinet minister said Wednesday.

The talks were called after a London conference of world leaders this week sought to boost Abbas' efforts to implement reforms and resume peacemaking.

"The EU will be behind the Palestinians in achieving their dream of a Palestinian state," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told Abbas, making his first visit to Brussels since taking office in January.

Solana said the EU would support Palestinian parliamentary elections, provide fresh economic aid and help the Palestinian Authority to reform its security forces.

For his part, Abbas said Wednesday he was optimistic Palestinians and Israelis could take advantage of a "new era of peace and hope" to reach a final peace deal that will see the realization of Palestinian statehood.

"Now we are talking about a new era of peace and hope," Abbas told reporters at EU headquarters. "I hope this support will continue ... Let's be optimistic."

The Palestinian leader flew to Brussels after attending the London Conference on supporting the Palestinian Authority, where he pledged to improve the Palestinian Authority's security services - a key demand of Israel and world donors.

Abbas was making his first visit to EU headquarters to drum up support from the 25-nation bloc for his reforms to prepare for statehood.

European Parliament President Josep Borrell said that if the Israeli-Palestinian peace process made sufficient progress, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a global conference of parliamentarians which he will chair from this month, could hold a special session in the Palestinian territories in November.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU would help observe Palestinian parliamentary elections in July and provide 250 million euros in aid this year.

During Wednesday's meetings Abbas told the EU that he wants Palestinian statehood "as soon as possible."

"Unfortunately until now, this dream has not been possible. We will continue to work to get this as soon as possible," he said.

Asked when the Palestinians might get statehood, Solana said: "The sooner the better," adding that it "depends on the parties" - the Israelis and Palestinians - to draft a new date for setting up a Palestinian state.

"The European Union is going to be behind the Palestinian people for the realization of their dream," Solana said. "The dream is clear: to have one state and a state that can live together in peace with the neighboring state of Israel."

Solana added that Abbas, the Israelis and donors such as the United States and the European Union had to ensure this hope will "not be disappearing from the heart of the [Palestinian] people."

During their talks, Abbas and Solana discussed a range of issues linked to a final peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, including settlements, Jerusalem and the West Bank separation fence.

"Colonization and the wall are illegal; they were built on our territory," Abbas said. "We will continue to raise this with the Israelis."

Abbas also reiterated the Palestinian Authority's condemnation of a suicide bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightclub last weekend that killed five Israelis.

"All Palestinians condemned this attack," Abbas said. "These attacks should not delay the peace process."

Abbas told Tuesday's London conference that the attack showed "extremist" elements were determined to derail the peace process.

Solana also urged Abbas to carry through on reforms to the Palestinian Authority's security policy, to ensure better control over militants "so the dream [of statehood] is realized."

He added that the EU was ready to continue its aid to help restructure the Palestinian police forces.

Israel takes London parley to task for terror stance
Israel, under pressure from the London conference, on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to the road map peace plan, but criticized the meeting for failing to more strongly urge a PA crackdown on terror organizations.

Leaders attending the Tuesday conference said they expected "action by Israel" regarding its commitments to the road map. Senior British sources said they did not accept Sharon's position that Palestinians must fulfill a series of obligations before implementation of the road map can begin.

But Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday that the conference had skirted the real issue, that of the Palestinian Authority's vow to fight terrorism.

"Words in London must correspond to some sort of reality here, Olmert told Israel Radio. "The fact is that terrorism is continuing, and we have yet to see any genuine effort by the Palestinian leadership, and this is certainly worrisome and cannot be ignored."

Britain wants Israel to freeze settlement construction and dismantle illegal outposts - both measures stipulated in the road map's first phase, senior British sources said. It also does not accept any particular order for first-phase actions, such as the Palestinians' having to carry out their commitments before Israel complies to its obligations.

Olmert said Wednesday that he "would have expected from the Palestinians, and certainly from the British, especially in this conference, that condemnation of terrorism, and commitment to fight terrorism ... rather than being hidden from the conference, would have been a very central, very substantive part of the declared commitments.

Referring to statements made at the end of the one-day conference, Olmert said "The declarations there do not represent a serious effort" in the fight against terrorism."

Regarding the road map, Olmert said "Israel's commitment to accept the two-state solution of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and its willingess to fulfil the road map, have been expressed many times, openly, clearly, publicly, and in a binding manner."

In their final statement, conference participants declared, "The London meeting recognized that the implementation of the commitments made by the Palestinian Authority would constitute a major step in implementing its road map commitments." At the same time, participants urged and expect action by Israel in relation to its own road map commitments.

The Quartet of road map sponsors also issued a statement condemning Friday night's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, urging "immediate action by the Palestinian Authority to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators."

But while an unnamed Palestinian official said the Palestinians were "very upset" by the Quartet statement that condemned the bombing, Israel indicated the statement - which also called for a viable Palestinian state - did not go far enough.

"Israel thinks that all the leaders who participated in the conference should have emphasized that the Palestinians must fulfill their obligations to stop terror, and that until then they will not be able to fulfill their national ambitions," the Prime Minister's Bureau said in a statement. No Israeli officials participated in the conference.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/546752.html
by Becky Johnson
Hey kids!! Remember this???

RAMALLAH, 20 February 2005 — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he opposes any use of force to disarm Palestinian groups.

“We don’t want conflict with the armed organizations, but agreement,” he said in an interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel to appear in tomorrow’s edition. The president said fighters from Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad must be integrated into the Palestinian security forces.

“After that, there will be no illegal arms, because the fighters must first hand them over,” he told Der Spiegel."

That's right! It was posted right here at indybay less than two weeks ago!! I note, that at the London conference,Abbas only promised that they had made a firm decision to "unify" Palestinian security forces.

What does THAT mean?

They are all going to get the same arm patch?

If it DOESN'T mean he's now willing to use force, the law, and his ability to apprehend by force, disarm by force, prosecute, convict, and imprison those criminal groups like Islamic Jihad (which just held a rally in Hebron on Feb. 28th praising the "holy martyrs" who killed in Tel Aviv and declaring there would be no peace with Israel from megaphones, though largely NOT reported in the press),
then we will be faced with the same situation we had with Arafat.

Where he condemns the suicide bombings in English and praises them in Arabic.


by Sefarad

You are absolutely right. But the EU and the UN don't care. After all, it was known that Arafat spent the aid from the EU in terrorism and in his personal account and still they gave him money.

As for the UN, their only interest is that Israel gets defenseless.
by JA
"BECKY'S BRAIN!!: An Amazing 'Interview' With Becky Johnson of Santa Cruz", by JA

http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1719944_comment.php#1722028

SHE'S A REAL CHARACTER DOWN THERE IN SANTA CRUZ!!


For more, later, see (Becky Johnson):

Examiner ad demonizes Palestinian children, shows young girl with gun
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/14842/index.php#15929


Albert Einstein Condemned Israeli Nazis
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/15529/index.php#15842


Elise Cohen of The Fellowship Of Reconciliation talks about upcoming delegations to Israel
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/14711/index.php


... YYYEP...!! SHE'S A *WWWACKO*!!
by Sefarad

Showing that Palestinian girl isn't demonazing the girl, I think. The Palestinians have been training and using children for terror.
WHO WERE THE LATEST TEL AVIV BOMBING VICTIMS? -- Ha'aretz
by Tsahar Rotem, Yuval Azoulay & Eli Ashkenazi Monday, Feb. 28, 2005

http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1724226_comment.php#1724408

"Israel Orbach delivered a fiery eulogy, [*PROUDLY*] explaining that he had served in the same unit as Prime Minister ARIEL SHARON[!!!] and MOSSAD CHIEF Meir Dagan[!!!]."


ISRAEL -- NOR *ANY* OPPRESSOR -- HAS **NO RIGHT** TO BE SAFE!

I PRAISE RESISTANCE TO RACIST, IMPERIALIST, COLONIALIST, CHRISTIAN/JEWISH WHITE-SUPREMACIST OPPRESSION IN *ANY* LANGUAGE!!
by Sefarad

They were exactly victims, and that's it.

And they were murdered by a terrorists.
by adsf
People like to show shock at militarism with regards to children in other countries but one can see similar behavior in the US. One has junior ROTC in many highschools, and many youth organizations (like the boyscouts and many sports teams) are modeled around training kids for war). For every picture one can find of a Palestinian kid dressed up like a militant one can find an American kid dressed up like a GI Joe character, running around with a fake gun. The percent of American kids who know how to fire a gun (or even assult rifle) is comparable to kids in war zones.
by Sefarad

I don't think in the US children are taught to hate others and that Mexico, for instance, is US land that the Mexicans occupied and that it is every American's duty to kill Mexicans.
Or that the model for American children is a suicide bomber.
by Critical Thinker
>>>"I PRAISE RESISTANCE TO RACIST, IMPERIALIST, COLONIALIST, CHRISTIAN/JEWISH WHITE-SUPREMACIST OPPRESSION IN *ANY* LANGUAGE!!"<<<

Well, Israel definitely doesn't meet the "IMPERIALIST, COLONIALIST, JEWISH WHITE-SUPREMACIST OPPRESSION".

Does J.A. praise resistance to these kinds of oppression executed by Muslims? Guess not. He never indicated he does.
by JA
NON-CRITICAL THINKIFIER (NOIR ANTAGONISTE): "Does J.A. praise resistance to these kinds of oppression executed by Muslims? Guess not. He never indicated he does."


HA-HA-HA---HA-HA-HA...!!!

(OH, 'DEM ZIONIST DAWGS JES' CRRRACK ME UP!!)
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