Tuesday, March 1, 2005
London Mid East Meeting putting pressure on Palestine
"We hope to agree on a practical work plan to enable the Palestinians to meet their commitments and to give Israel confidence"
British Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw
So, someone remind me, who is occupying the land of whom??? Get Mr Straw a map, please.
Israel, it must be stressed, will not be present at this "meeting". There are not supposed to be any sort of negotiations in this meeting, and it serves primarily as a way of bringing pressure on the Palestinian Authority, and its nervous President Abu Mazen. The final status issues will not be dealt with, as this can happen only in direct negotiations, (or with enough members of the Roadmap present as proxy).
According to China Daily, "The conference would assess ways to make Palestinian institutions more democratic, less corrupt and equipped to rein in militants who have seized de facto power in the streets and resisted truce proposals from veteran moderates like Abbas.......Blair, echoing the U.S. and Israeli line, said road map talks on a Palestinian state could not bear fruit unless Palestinians put a stop to militant violence beforehand. "
Yet... the goal of the meeting, when it was first announced was quoted in the United Nations Information System for Palestine site , was as follows:
"The central aim of the London Meeting is to help the Palestinian leadership strengthen the institutions of the Palestinian Authority. In doing so the UK and the international community will work to support Palestinian efforts to prepare for the anticipated Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank Strong institutions of governance, a more effective security apparatus and renewed economic development should enable the Palestinian Authority to build on the opportunity of these withdrawals and ensure they deliver real benefits to the Palestinian people."
I believe it will end up only talking about (as usual) Israeli opportunities, security and development. Just ask Jack Straw.....
British Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw
So, someone remind me, who is occupying the land of whom??? Get Mr Straw a map, please.
Israel, it must be stressed, will not be present at this "meeting". There are not supposed to be any sort of negotiations in this meeting, and it serves primarily as a way of bringing pressure on the Palestinian Authority, and its nervous President Abu Mazen. The final status issues will not be dealt with, as this can happen only in direct negotiations, (or with enough members of the Roadmap present as proxy).
According to China Daily, "The conference would assess ways to make Palestinian institutions more democratic, less corrupt and equipped to rein in militants who have seized de facto power in the streets and resisted truce proposals from veteran moderates like Abbas.......Blair, echoing the U.S. and Israeli line, said road map talks on a Palestinian state could not bear fruit unless Palestinians put a stop to militant violence beforehand. "
Yet... the goal of the meeting, when it was first announced was quoted in the United Nations Information System for Palestine site , was as follows:
"The central aim of the London Meeting is to help the Palestinian leadership strengthen the institutions of the Palestinian Authority. In doing so the UK and the international community will work to support Palestinian efforts to prepare for the anticipated Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank Strong institutions of governance, a more effective security apparatus and renewed economic development should enable the Palestinian Authority to build on the opportunity of these withdrawals and ensure they deliver real benefits to the Palestinian people."
I believe it will end up only talking about (as usual) Israeli opportunities, security and development. Just ask Jack Straw.....
