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Arabs Brokering Unilateral Palestinian Ceasefire
GAZA CITY, January 16 (IslamOnline.net) – While Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon gave his army a free rein in Gaza Strip, Arab countries, particularly Syria and Lebanon, were holding intensive talks with Palestinian resistance groups to broker a unilateral ceasefire.
“Consultations are underway between some Arab capitals, chiefly Cairo, Riyadh, Doha, Damascus and Beirut, and key Palestinian factions like Hamas and Islamic Jihad on a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire,” a well-kept Arab diplomatic source told IslamOnline.net Saturday, January15 .
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due to travel to Gaza on Wednesday for talks with the factions aimed at reaching an agreement on a ceasefire.
In his inauguration speech Saturday, January15 , Abu Mazen called for a mutual ceasefire with Israel and talks on a final peace settlement.
A Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire would allow to address the pressing issues of unifying Palestinian security bodies, ending the security chaos, finding necessary funds to reform the Palestinian Authority, he added.
“Brokering a ceasefire is the only option left for Abu Mazen to tackle these issues and secure European financial assistance and political support linking the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to the roadmap plan.”
The source added that the truce would allow Arab countries to ask the Quartet Committee (which comprises the US, EU, UN and Russia) to press Sharon to implement the internationally-endorsed blueprint.
Syria-Lebanese Stance
Syrian and Lebanon, accused by Washington of undermining ceasefire efforts, agree on the need for a truce, the Arab diplomatic source said.
“All Arab countries are now convinced of the need to broker a Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire agreed upon by all Palestinian factions.”
The US and some European countries were posted on the new Syrian and Lebanese stance which was also welcomed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he said.
According to the source, the new position of the two countries would help make a headway in view of their distinguished relations with the Palestinian factions, chiefly Hamas and Jihad.
Consultations
Arab countries, particularly heavyweights Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are seeking US assurances that Sharon would not sabotage the ceasefire, well-informed sources told IOL.
A unilateral truce declared by Palestinian resistance factions on June 29 ,2003 , collapsed after Israeli forces assassinated Ismail Abu Shanab, a Hamas political leader.
Palestinian factions said that by assassinating Abu Shanab Israel killed stone dead the three-month ceasefire.
Sharon said Sunday, January16 , he has given his army a free hand to carry out unlimited operations in Gaza Strip.
“The Tsahal (army) and the security forces have received orders to operate without any limits on time or their modus operandi to act against the terrorist organizations,” Sharon said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, referring to Palestinian resistance factions.
Israeli occupation forces gunned down Saturday eight Palestinians in separate attacks across Gaza Strip.
Sharon had frozen contacts with Abbas following an attack on a crossing point Thursday that left six Israelis and three Palestinians dead.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, three Palestinian resistance factions said it came in retaliation for “Israel’s non-stop policy of aggressions and assassinations.”
Hamas and Jihad movements link any possible ceasefire to the halt of Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, including incursions, assassinations and houses demolition.
The source also predicted ongoing talks between the Arab counties and the Palestinian factions would result in setting a new date for launching a new round of inter-Palestinian dialogue by early February in Cairo.
http://islamonline.org/English/News/2005-01/16/article02.shtml
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due to travel to Gaza on Wednesday for talks with the factions aimed at reaching an agreement on a ceasefire.
In his inauguration speech Saturday, January15 , Abu Mazen called for a mutual ceasefire with Israel and talks on a final peace settlement.
A Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire would allow to address the pressing issues of unifying Palestinian security bodies, ending the security chaos, finding necessary funds to reform the Palestinian Authority, he added.
“Brokering a ceasefire is the only option left for Abu Mazen to tackle these issues and secure European financial assistance and political support linking the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to the roadmap plan.”
The source added that the truce would allow Arab countries to ask the Quartet Committee (which comprises the US, EU, UN and Russia) to press Sharon to implement the internationally-endorsed blueprint.
Syria-Lebanese Stance
Syrian and Lebanon, accused by Washington of undermining ceasefire efforts, agree on the need for a truce, the Arab diplomatic source said.
“All Arab countries are now convinced of the need to broker a Palestinian-Israeli ceasefire agreed upon by all Palestinian factions.”
The US and some European countries were posted on the new Syrian and Lebanese stance which was also welcomed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he said.
According to the source, the new position of the two countries would help make a headway in view of their distinguished relations with the Palestinian factions, chiefly Hamas and Jihad.
Consultations
Arab countries, particularly heavyweights Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are seeking US assurances that Sharon would not sabotage the ceasefire, well-informed sources told IOL.
A unilateral truce declared by Palestinian resistance factions on June 29 ,2003 , collapsed after Israeli forces assassinated Ismail Abu Shanab, a Hamas political leader.
Palestinian factions said that by assassinating Abu Shanab Israel killed stone dead the three-month ceasefire.
Sharon said Sunday, January16 , he has given his army a free hand to carry out unlimited operations in Gaza Strip.
“The Tsahal (army) and the security forces have received orders to operate without any limits on time or their modus operandi to act against the terrorist organizations,” Sharon said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, referring to Palestinian resistance factions.
Israeli occupation forces gunned down Saturday eight Palestinians in separate attacks across Gaza Strip.
Sharon had frozen contacts with Abbas following an attack on a crossing point Thursday that left six Israelis and three Palestinians dead.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, three Palestinian resistance factions said it came in retaliation for “Israel’s non-stop policy of aggressions and assassinations.”
Hamas and Jihad movements link any possible ceasefire to the halt of Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, including incursions, assassinations and houses demolition.
The source also predicted ongoing talks between the Arab counties and the Palestinian factions would result in setting a new date for launching a new round of inter-Palestinian dialogue by early February in Cairo.
http://islamonline.org/English/News/2005-01/16/article02.shtml
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Abbas orders security forces to prevent attacks on Israelis
By Haaretz Service and Agencies
As the newly elected Palestinian Authority chairman ordered security forces to prevent attacks on Israelis, left-wing Israeli politicians met with Mahmoud Abbas to tell him they consider the government's decision to suspend talks with the PA to be mistaken.
PA cabinet minister Kadoura Fares said Monday that Abbas ordered security forces on Monday to prevent Palestinian militant attacks on Israelis.
"Abu Mazen [Abbas] and the cabinet gave clear instructions to the security chiefs to prevent all kinds of violence, including attacks against Israel," said Fares, a minister without portfolio.
However, the radical Islamic movement Hamas was swift to announce it would continue with its attacks against Israeli targets, Israel Radio reported.
Abbas' announcement comes a day after the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by Abbas, called on all Palestinian organizations to cease attacks against Israel. Abbas also stepped up talks between Fatah and the Islamist organizations in the Gaza Strip, in an effort to agree on a cease-fire with Israel.
"There are intensified instructions to the Palestinian security forces to assume their responsibilities," Communications Minister Azzam al-Ahmed told reporters after Monday's cabinet meeting. Asked whether this included trying to prevent attacks, he said: "For sure."
"We have a decision to stop the cycle of violence," al-Ahmed said. "The attacks by the Palestinian side must come to an end, but Israeli military operations must also end."
Meanwhile, Abbas met Monday with Israeli politicans involved in the Geneva Initiative, a private peace plan that seeks to persuade Israelis and Palestinians to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. They told Abbas they consider it strange for Israel to "boycott" him.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the suspension of talks with Abbas following last Thursday's terror attack at the Karni crossing, in which six Israeli civilians were killed. A senior political source said at the time that Israel expects the Palestinians to start fighting terror.
But Yahad chairman Yossi Beilin, an Oslo architect and one of the main forces behind the Geneva Initiative, said Abbas should not be punished for Hamas activity.
"We came here to say that the government is making a mistake in calling off the ongoing communication with the Palestinian Authority," Beilin said after meeting with Abbas for an hour in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "Punishing Abu Mazen for the actions of Hamas is a mistake, and in effect he is the sole pragmatic force with whom it is possible to advance peace. There is nothing stranger than boycotting him."
Although Abbas did not speak publicly after the meeting, Beilin quoted him as saying unambiguously that he intends to put an end to the violence. Labor MKs Yuli Tamir and Amram Mitzna, as well as former MK Avram Burg, also attended the meeting.
Arab League spokesman Hossam Zaki said Monday that Israel has shown itself to be unwilling to move forward.
"All the talk in the past about Arafat not being a partner for peace is now repeating itself, only replacing one Palestinian name with another," Zaki said.
"Israel is not willing to go forward. It is looking for excuses, exploiting each and every incident in order to stop any chances for progress," he said.
-----
I'm with Beilin on this one (again). Cutting off contacts with the PA before Abu Mazen has had a chance to do anything is counterproductive. Sharon apparently went draconic because in his reading the evidence suggests PA coordination of the attack that killed six Israeli civilians -- in other words, that it was not just Hamas but also the PA involved. Abbas has now laid down the line that PA participation in terror attacks is no longer acceptable. Good for him; now it's time for Israel to reciprocate.
@%<
I gather that the PA's forces had foreknowledge of the attack and allowed the terrorists that perpetrated it to use PA installations.
It's up to Abbas to prove he will deliver on forbidding the PA aparatuses from passive participation in terrorist operations. On a practical level this means sharing foreknowledge of planned attack the PA aparatuses have with Israeli authorities. It's not unreasonable to expect 100% effort from the PA at preventing terror, starting now.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1105932029862
But in reality the "Palestinian Authority" is nothing more than the Arabenrat serving the Judeo-Nazis like the Judenrat served the Germano-Nazis.
To the best of my recollection, the Palestinians who complained about the supposed irregularities during the Palestinian election admitted Abbas would have won even if they didn't occur. The Palestinians have chosen their leader and those who are chagrined by the Palestinian majority's choice of Abbas should deal with it.
Anyhow, the point that should be focused on is Abbas could have launched an effort to prevent Palestinian terror before the Karni hell broke loose. Hopefully his pledge is more than mere declaration this time around.
That's what the Palestinians should do. They started attacking, so they have to stop.