Israel & Middle East Peace Conference

[HisDaughter]

I didn't want to post it here, but I have posted and article on the Kind of Spain in the "You Name It" section if anyone wants to read it.

[Littleboy]

I just found some stuff too!
And i put it under Prophecy.. OUGH BOY my bad!
If it needs to be moved can i have some help please
I know it's not prophecy?, it's just the place where I started talking about him at...
Your Loving Brother Duane

[Shammu]

'Israel ready to go far at Annapolis'
JPost staff, AP and sheera claire frenkel , THE JERUSALEM POST    Nov. 6, 2007

"Israel is prepared to go very far at the Annapolis conference," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday.

During the Middle East conference, Barak said, "Israel is going to seek important agreements that would require the Palestinians to implement the first stage of the road map."

"This includes dismantling all terrorist organizations," said the defense minister, adding that "the demand to dismantle terror camps extends to Gaza as well." Barak hinted that Fatah might need to go into the Strip to confront Hamas head on.

Regarding a possible large-scale IDF operation in Gaza, Barak said that although the time had not yet come for such a mission, "at some point sooner or later, we will have to engage in such an operation if Kassam rocket fire and weapons smuggling continue as they have of late."

Barak said Israel had the ability to enter Gaza and operate there using all military options, indicating that in a possible confrontation, the IDF would not hesitate to use the air force, ground forces and perhaps even the Israel Navy.

"Every day that passes," Barak added, "brings Israel closer to being forced to confront the terror threat from Gaza."

Barak also said he wanted to try and find a way to make Syria part of the Annapolis conference.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Yosef Mishlav told the FADC that Israel might implement a new plan to stop the flow of cooking gas to Gaza, and also lower the voltage of the electricity provided to the Strip, instead of cutting off electricity altogether.

The conference is set to take place in the last week of November, according to a senior official in the entourage of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "In the Middle East anything is possible, but we are progressing according to the planned timetable," the official added while speaking to reporters in Ramallah on Monday night.

In related news, a document composed by the Reut Institute for Policy Planning Has cautioned from a breakdown in the peace process. According to the institute, Israeli leaders are not thinking of the 'day after' Annapolis and underestimate the price of failure. It further recommends that Israel draw 'day after' scenarios and courses of operation, among them the possibility of Marwan Barghouti as backup to the current Palestinian leadership.

The document, due to be presented at a conference in Sapir College on Tuesday morning, estimates that the Israelis and Palestinians will not succeed in formulating a joint declaration that will be acceptable to both sides. This, the Reut Institute claims, is likely to lead to Hamas taking control of the West Bank and the international community abandoning its vision of "Two states for two nations." Israel wants a watered down agreement but the Palestinians seek a substantial one, it concludes.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said that the US government would formulate a memorandum of understanding between Israel and the Palestinians that will be presented at the conference, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported Tuesday.

According to the London-based newspaper, Rice and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed that the secretary of state would bring the document for the two sides to examine on her next visit to the region.

The document will reportedly seek to bridge the gaps between the two sides and will be used as a basis to end the conflict before the end of US President George Bush's term.

Also Tuesday, senior Hamas official in Gaza Halil Abu Leileh said that the group would do everything within its power to torpedo the Annapolis conference.

"It is clear to Hamas that the Palestinian side will make concessions for the Palestinian people and compromise their principles," he told BBC Arabic.

Overnight Monday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Israel was not trying to evade a discussion of the most sensitive core issues.

Speaking to a forum of European Union and Mediterranean nation foreign ministers in Lisbon, the foreign minister said that Israel had decided to allow the Annapolis conference to be an opportunity to bridge the gap between it and the Palestinians, adding that it was clear that on the day after the parley, serious negotiations must begin.

However, Livni tied the possibility of dialogue with the Palestinians' ability to rein in terror. She said that discourse was already underway, but the path to establishing a Palestinian state was dependent on Israel's ability to give the keys to a responsible authority that can control the territory and assure that the state that is established is not a terror state.

Speaking directly to Arab delegates present in the forum, the foreign minister called on the Arab world to collectively assist the process. She said that the Arab world should convey to its public and to the Israeli public that processes currently unfolding could affect the entire region. A different, correct behavior on their side could have brought a different outcome, she continued, like the Palestinians celebrating 60 years of independence, or at least seven years of having a state.

Livni also told delegates from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon that the Arab world should come to the conference unconditionally and support any decision and any compromises the Palestinians make - instead of dictating the end result in advance.

'Israel ready to go far at Annapolis'

[Shammu]

Israeli rabbis warn Bush of disaster if Annapolis not canceled
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST    Nov. 5, 2007

A group of rabbis from Israel have sent a letter to US President George W. Bush warning him that if the planned Annapolis Middle East parley is not cancelled, a disaster will befall US citizens, just as Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans after Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.

Among the rabbis who signed the letter were Kiryat Arba-Hebron Chief Rabbi Dov Lior, Chabad Rabbi Meir Druckman of Kiryat Motzkin, and Rabbi Dov Wolfa.

Israeli rabbis warn Bush of disaster if Annapolis not canceled
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Rabbis Invited For Pre-Annapolis Temple Mount Talks
 
by Ezra HaLevi

(IsraelNN.com) Israel’s Chief Rabbis and the Chief Rabbi of Haifa have been invited to the White House for pre-Annapolis talks to explain the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount.

Chief Rabbis Yonah Metzger and Shlomo Amar, as well as the Chief Rabbi of Haifa and Chairman of the Chief Rabbinate Communications Committee Rabbi She'ar-Yashuv Cohen departed Saturday evening for a series of meetings to clarify to US leaders that the Temple Mount is Judaism's holiest site.

Ahead of the Annapolis Conference, the Bush administration is trying to gauge Israel’s “red lines” and examine the possibility of relinquishing the Temple Mount to Islam.

Despite the fact that many rabbis both visit and encourage other Jews to visit the Temple Mount in the manner permitted by Jewish law, the chief rabbinate says that Jews should not visit the Temple Mount. A large sign is affixed to the path leading to the Mount saying it is “forbidden for Jews to visit the Mount according to Jewish law.”

All three rabbis agree that the Temple Mount must remain under Jewish sovereignty.  However, the chief rabbis believe the mount should be closed to all since a special level of ritual purity must be obtained before ascending to the site of the Jewish Holy Temple. Rabbi Cohen believes the Temple Mount should be open to Jewish worship and a synagogue should be constructed there.

Second Such Meeting
Arutz-7's Yedidya HaCohen reports that a secret meeting on the matter took place two weeks ago during one of the recent visits by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Jerusalem. The meeting dealt with Jerusalem’s holy sites and was attended by Rabbi Cohen, as well as Muslim and Christian religious leaders. The meeting lasted over two hours.

Muslim leaders aired their claim that “the Jews want to destroy the Al-Aksa Mosques” and their oft-heard denial that there was ever a Jewish temple at the site. The chief Mufti has already declared that Jews should not be allowed to pray at the site. Recent archaological finds from the First Temple have not tempered Muslim denial of pre-Islamic history on the mount, as well as the Western Wall.

Rabbi Cohen responded to those present: “It is forbidden to deny that the Jews had our Holy Temple at that site. It is forbidden to forget that King David purchased the Temple Mount, King Solomon built the Holy Temple and Ezra the Scribe rebuilt it as well [after it was destroyed –ed.]. All who come afterward must recognize the rights of those who came first. Although I do not propose the demolition of the mosques, the Muslims must remember that they are there due to us.”

Rabbi Cohen also recalled the historical fact that the Muslim Caliph Omar Suleiman built a synagogue on the Temple Mount where Jews prayed, and that it was later destroyed by another Caliph.

In summation, Rabbi Cohen told Rice and the other religious leaders that he is completely opposed to any withdrawal from the Temple Mount and site of the Holy Temple.

Rice reportedly responded: “Honorable rabbi, I understand you well. I am the daughter of a priest and the granddaughter of a priest, I learned the Bible and know what is written there.”

Rice said, at the conclusion of the meeting, that she understood that religious matters were at the root of the disagreements ahead of the conference. “If this matter is not solved, then nothing will be solved,” she said. Those at the meeting reported her demeanor as tense.

As a follow-up, the invitations to the Chief Rabbis to the White House for three days of meetings were issued. The meetings, which will be attended by members of the Islamic Wakf and Christian leaders, will reportedly deal with a proposal similar to that floated by Vice Premier Chaim Ramon (Kadima). According to the proposal, the Jerusalem “Holy Basin” – meaning the Old City and surrounding areas – would be administered by a joint committee and not remain under Israeli sovereignty. According to Ramon’s plan, the Western Wall and Temple Mount would remain under Israeli control, but the Americans are reportedly pushing to see the Temple Mount relinquished as well.

Sources connected to the Chief Rabbinate say there is great significance to the inclusion of Rabbi She'ar-Yashuv Cohen, who has declared publicly that he will fight such a plan and not just take part in the inter-religious arrangements being planned for the Holy City. Rabbi Cohen’s position that the Temple Mount must be opened to Jewish prayer is well known, as well as his call for the establishment of a synagogue on the Mount.

Also joining the rabbinic delegation are Chairman of the Chief Rabbinate Oded Weiner and Rabbi David Rosen, former chief rabbi of Ireland and the head of the World Committee for Jewish-Christian relations.

Conference Mirrors Pre-State Events
The meetings resemble similar discussions by the British Shaw Committee that took place 80 years ago. Those meetings aimed to determine to whom the Western Wall belonged. Former Israel Chief Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook went before the committee to offer his perspective, while the committee honored the Muslim Mufti by coming to his office adjacent to the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Kook presented the committee with arguments for Jewish rights to pray at the site and emphasized its holiness. When asked to bring supporting proof, Rabbi Kook responded: “By relying on documents, we are liable to weaken this truth, which is among those that are so well known that it is not in need of proof. It is similar to one who raises a candle to increase the brightness of the sun’s light…It is known that this site is enwrapped in the same holiness of our Holy Temple.”

Later in the deliberations, the heads of the Zionist establishment agreed to relinquish claims of ownership of the Western Wall and receive only the right to pray at the site. In response to the initiative, Rabbi Kook responded: “G-d forbid we give up the Western Wall; we have not received power of attorney from the Nation of Israel!”

Rabbis Invited For Pre-Annapolis Temple Mount Talks

[Shammu]

In summation, Rabbi Cohen told Rice and the other religious leaders that he is completely opposed to any withdrawal from the Temple Mount and site of the Holy Temple.

Rice reportedly responded: “Honorable rabbi, I understand you well. I am the daughter of a priest and the granddaughter of a priest, I learned the Bible and know what is written there.”

It is obvious that Miss Rice doesn't know the Bible, as well as she thinks.

Zechariah 12:1-3 THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup or bowl of reeling to all the peoples round about, and in the siege against Jerusalem will there also be a siege against and upon Judah. 3 And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who lift it or burden themselves with it shall be sorely wounded. And all the nations of the earth shall come and gather together against it.

[Shammu]

Syria reiterates demand to put Golan on Annapolis summit agenda
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent , and Reuters
07/11/2007

Syria is holding firm on its demand that the Golan Heights be among the items on the agenda of the upcoming Middle East peace conference scheduled to take place in late November at Annapolis.

Amid speculation that Washington could soon dispatch official invitations to the summit, Syria's Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah al-Dardari told BBC radio Wednesday that, "When such an invitation, and if such an invitation should come, it should include an agenda with the Golan Heights clearly placed on that agenda. If not, why should we be there in Annapolis?"

Asked whether the conference could achieve any kind of peace deal without Syria, Dardari said: "Definitely not... No peace without Syria in the Middle East."
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Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence believes that the U.S-sponsored summit is likely to fail, and that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas might step down as a result.

Abbas reportedly views the Annapolis conference as the last opportunity to resuscitate the peace process. If he does go home in the wake of a failure of the talks, without a successor acceptable to Fatah, Abbas' departure would create a lacuna in the Palestinian leadership and increase Hamas influence.

According to Military Intelligence, Abbas' inner circle is cut off from the Fatah rank and file, and has difficulty exerting its authority over the various military wings of Fatah (the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the various West Bank cities) and its political activists. This lack of full control at the grass-roots level might make it difficult for the PA to fulfill its obligations as part of a diplomatic process.

As Haaretz reported a few weeks ago, MI believes the chances for success at Annapolis are "close to nil."

The IDF believes the main obstacle is disagreement over the Palestinians meeting their obligations as part of the first stage of the road map, set forward by the Bush administration in 2002: dismantling terror infrastructure. The Palestinian Authority says it has met this obligation, and is not responsible for the Qassam rocket fire on the western Negev since the attacks emanate from the Gaza Strip, which is no longer under its control.

Israel Defense Forces intelligence officers say the PA's main function has been reduced to paying salaries to PA workers and security forces.

However, the IDF also notes that security cooperation between the Shin Bet and the PA's preventive security forces and its general intelligence force has been renewed recently and ties are much closer. The PA security forces have been transmitting important information to Israel and have frequently thwarted terror attacks.

Former senior IDF officers who took part in the Camp David talks say they are also concerned that over the lack of experience of Israeli representatives to the Annapolis talks, especially in the face of the years of experience the PA's negotiators have had in talks with Israel.

Syria reiterates demand to put Golan on Annapolis summit agenda

[Shammu]

Interfaith peace plan touted


November 8, 2007

By Cajsa Collin - The most senior religious leaders from Israel and the Palestinian territories announced details yesterday of a Middle East peace initiative that emphasizes the importance of religion in resolving the conflict.

At an unprecedented press conference in Washington, members of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land announced six concrete steps they plan to take, including establishment of a hot line to connect its members and efforts to foster mutual respect between religions.

Jewish participants included Rabbi Shlomo Amar, chief Sephardic rabbi of Israel; Rabbi Yonah Metzger, chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Israel; Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, chief rabbi of Haifa; Rabbi David Rosen; and Oded Wiener, director general of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Christian participants included Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox patriarchate; Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Latin patriarchate; Bishop Suheil Dawani, the Anglican Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East; and Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Holy Land and Jordan.

Muslim participants included Sheik Taysir al-Tamimi, supreme judge of the Palestinian Shariah Courts; Sheik Jamal Bawatnah, minister of Awqaf; Salah A. Zuheika, deputy minister of Waqf and religious affairs for the Palestinian Authority; Sheik Hatem Hilmi Bakri; and Sheik Abdel Salam Mraish.

Mr. Rosen, speaking on behalf of the Jewish members, said it was "pathetic" that it had taken so long to produce the initiative but "amazing" that it is finally taking place.

"We are not here to be politicians; we are not here to make political decisions. We are here to say no political solution can work without the religious dimension. To ignore it is to guarantee it will fail," he said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development funded the initiative, which is meant to further cooperation at the grass-roots level. The council grew out of the Alexandria Declaration in Egypt in January 2002, in which religious leaders in the region made a commitment to end violence in the Holy Land.

In March, the council began working with Catholic Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of the Washington Archdiocese and Tony P. Hall, a former Ohio Democratic congressman and U.S. ambassador to U.N. organizations, to develop specific plans for cooperation among Christians, Jews and Muslims.

The six steps call for establishing a "hot line" to ease communication between council members who will offer advice to Israeli and Palestinian political leaders and monitor regional press for defamatory representations of any religion.

The council will also monitor education to make sure it promotes mutual respect and acceptance in local schools and show, through their cooperation, that differences can be solved through dialogue rather than violence.

All members of the council support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem and agree that no peace agreement can be reached without solving the religious aspects of the conflict.

"I don't think any of us here are under any illusions that this group is going to solve the peace problem," said Mr. Hall. But "you cannot have peace without these people. They are necessary, and the constituencies that they represent."

It is not clear whether the council will be represented at a planned peace conference in Annapolis, but members of the council were optimistic about getting an invitation.

Mr. Zuheika said the council should be represented in order for the conference to be successful.

"I think it is a must, because without solving the religious problems, nothing will work," he said.

Interfaith peace plan touted

[Shammu]

2007-11-08

Holy See Presses for 2-State Solution in Mideast

Urges Israelis and Palestinians to Commit to Peace

NEW YORK, NOV. 8, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See is convinced that a two-state solution is the best way to solve the crisis between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, affirmed this today when he addressed the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly on the topic of Palestinian refugees in the Near East.

The archbishop said that at the heart of the matter is the problem of injustice. He said, "To postpone endlessly the resolution of this conflict by a refusal to negotiate and to compromise reasonably, by indecision or by a willingness to maintain the status quo, is to perpetuate injustice."

"Whether such a mind-set is deliberate or not does not alter the reality on the ground, namely, innocent people and entire families on all sides continue to suffer terribly and infrastructures are destroyed even before they are ready for use," the prelate continued.

True resolve

Affirming that the Holy See believes a two-state solution has the best chance to settle the crisis, Archbishop Migliore called on both Israelis and Palestinians to resolve themselves to work for peace.

He said: "Bringing this solution to reality is not the primary responsibility of the Quartet, but of the parties directly concerned and the neighboring countries who have immediate interests in the whole question."

The Quartet on the Middle East, which is involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, comprises the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.

The prelate continued: "While the international community can only do so much in providing all the support needed to bring together those in conflict, it is indispensable that the parties must set aside the pretense of peacemaking and start full negotiations on the two-state solution.

"My delegation earnestly hopes that the international conference planned for the end of this month may move the peace process towards this end, towards the definition of a realistic accord that the parties will be determined to implement."

Vicious cycle

Archbishop Migliore acknowledged that decades of violence have caused rage among the people of the area, "fueling the vicious cycle of violent retaliations."

However, he called on "groups within both the Israeli and Palestinian civil societies which, sharing the same loss and fear, reach out to one another to offer and receive forgiveness and reconciliation. We appeal not only to authorities, but to the entire Israeli, Palestinian and neighboring peoples, to consider how much this disposition of mutual empathy can bridge their otherwise mutually exclusive and contradictory claims which have so far prevented talks to come to fruition."

The archbishop concluded by noting that the status of the city of Jerusalem must be part of a lasting solution.

"In light of the numerous incidents of violence and challenges to free movement posed by the security wall," he said, "the Holy See renews its support for internationally guaranteed provisions to ensure the city of Jerusalem the freedom of religion and of conscience of its inhabitants, as well as permanent, free and unhindered access to the holy places by the faithful of all religions and nationalities."

Holy See Presses for 2-State Solution in Mideast

[Shammu]

"In light of the numerous incidents of violence and challenges to free movement posed by the security wall," he said, "the Holy See renews its support for internationally guaranteed provisions to ensure the city of Jerusalem the freedom of religion and of conscience of its inhabitants, as well as permanent, free and unhindered access to the Holy places by the faithful of all religions and nationalities."

I see the holy see going against the Word of God. Just like alot of others, want to do these days too. May I remind y'all.........

Zechariah 12:1-3 THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup or bowl of reeling to all the peoples round about, and in the siege against Jerusalem will there also be a siege against and upon Judah. 3 And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who lift it or burden themselves with it shall be sorely wounded. And all the nations of the earth shall come and gather together against it.

[Littleboy]

Palestinians ease demands for conference By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Fri Nov 9, 2:47 AM ET
 


JERUSALEM - Encouraged by a conciliatory speech by Israel's prime minister, Palestinian negotiators have eased their demands that an upcoming U.S.-hosted peace conference lay out a plan for statehood, officials said Thursday.

 
The Palestinians said they were pleased with Israeli pledges to resume peace talks after the conference this month — and were now less concerned with a pre-summit understanding that had bogged down earlier negotiations.

In Tel Aviv, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki indicated how far the Palestinians have retreated from their original demand that the pre-conference document include concrete statements on all the "core issues" — borders, Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

Malki said the framework was made up of previous peace initiatives. "The second component of the document is the core issues," he said, "and here of course we have to find exactly what are these core issues, at least if we can mention them by name."

Playing down the conference, set for late this month in Annapolis, Md., Malki said, "We should not spend that much effort on Annapolis itself, but on the day after Annapolis."

That mirrored Israel's stand that the conference would only mark the resumption of peace talks.

In a speech Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared "now is the time" to sign a deal. The following day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he had received "encouraging signs" from Israel. Standing next to Abbas, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was "tremendously impressed by the seriousness" of both sides.

Speaking at the same Tel Aviv University forum as Malki, Israeli Cabinet Minister Ami Ayalon said the goal was "to reach agreement on the principles of a final peace deal" during the next year, while President Bush is in office.

The sudden shift in tone contrasts sharply with disagreements that have plagued the summit preparations for weeks. Those differences focused on a joint document the sides hoped to present at the conference.

The Palestinians had insisted the document outline the general principles of a future peace agreement and provide a timeline for granting them independence. The Israelis sought a vaguer, nonbinding agreement.

With negotiators making little progress on these issues, Palestinian officials said they were turning their focus away from the document and toward post-summit talks after receiving Israeli and U.S. assurances that peace efforts would move into high gear after the conference. The meeting is expected to take place around Nov. 26.

"We were hoping for a document that would define the limits and guiding resolution for every difficult point," said Rafiq Husseini, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "I'm not sure we'll get it."

He said he was pleased there was now talk of reviving the "road map" — a long-stalled U.S. peace plan that envisions a Palestinian state.

The Annapolis conference is also meant to strengthen Abbas in his standoff with the Islamic militant group Hamas, which violently seized control of the Gaza Strip last June.

The takeover has led to renewed peacemaking between Israel and Abbas' moderate government in the West Bank — but it has also raised serious questions about Abbas' ability to implement any future deal.

Palestinian officials said Abbas was especially encouraged by Olmert's suggestion in his speech Sunday night that a deal could be reached by the end of the Bush administration in January 2009.

Olmert described the Annapolis summit as a "starting point" for talks on Palestinian statehood, including the so-called core issues that have scuttled past peace efforts: the final borders between Israel and a future Palestine, the status of disputed Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Olmert also said he was ready to carry out Israel's initial obligation under the road map — a freeze in Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank — and said he expected the Palestinians to meet their road map commitment of disarming militants.

Israeli officials declined to discuss the status of pre-summit negotiations but said Olmert was serious about using the conference as a launching pad.

"Annapolis is not about implementation. It's about defining the issues, showing how we go forward without giving the solutions right now," said Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin.

A U.S. diplomat said Washington was encouraged by the latest Palestinian position, which appears to match Israeli and American thinking.

"We've never envisioned Annapolis as a meeting that hammers out core issues, but rather sets the stage for parties to work on the core issues in an atmosphere of confidence," said the diplomat, who asked that he not be named in accordance with State Department policy.

An official date for the conference is expected to be announced within the next 10 days, along with formal invitations.

[Shammu]

Egypt, Saudi Back Mideast Peace Meeting

14 hours ago

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Egypt and Saudi Arabia backed an upcoming U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference Saturday as a way to set the stage for a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, an Egyptian official said.

It was still unclear, however, whether the two countries would attend the conference, scheduled for late November in Annapolis, Md. Arab countries have been reluctant to commit to attending without guarantees that the meeting will yield firm results.

"Egypt and Saudi Arabia have a clear stance, that is to welcome the meeting because it comes after long years of a frozen peace process," said Suleiman Awaad, a spokesman for Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

He spoke after a meeting between Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah.

Awaad said Mubarak and Abdullah expect the meeting to "set up the final solutions ... within serious negotiations and a timetable."

Saudi officials did not comment after the meeting.

In September, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said his country would probably not attend the conference if it did not tackle substantive issues.

Mubarak also expressed concern in September that the meeting would not produce concrete results without a clear agenda. However, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit publicly endorsed the conference in October after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

President Bush called for the conference in July to break the deadlock in the Mideast peace process.

Palestinian officials said Saturday that pre-conference talks with Israel have hit a rough patch as negotiators try to write a joint document that is to serve as a basis for the meeting.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the two sides have not progressed beyond the preamble, and many disagreements remain.

Awaad said Egypt and Saudi Arabia were committed to ensuring the conference's success.

"Egypt and Saudi Arabia are serious, and Mubarak and King Abdullah are very keen to make this conference successful because its success will eventually lead to the benefit of the Palestinian people and the rest of the region."

Egypt, Saudi Back Mideast Peace Meeting

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Kingdom, Egypt Urge ‘Serious ME Talks’
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
 
JEDDAH, 12 November 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah returned to Riyadh yesterday at the conclusion of a successful six-nation tour, which saw the signing of several vital accords with Britain, Italy, Germany and Turkey and a historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.

The king held two rounds of talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. The talks, according to presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad, focused on the Middle East peace conference called by US President George W. Bush as well as the situation in Iraq and Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are hopeful that the peace conference, which is scheduled to be held in Annapolis, Maryland later this month will bring about a just and lasting peace, closing the file on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, ending the occupation and restoring the rights of Palestinians, he said.

In a statement after talks between King Abdullah and Mubarak on Saturday night, Awad said the two countries fervently hoped the upcoming conference would succeed. “Its success will be in the interest of the region’s peace, security and stability,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the presidential spokesman as saying. He said the US had not yet sent invitations to any participating country.

“Our stance on the conference is very clear. We welcome this meeting which is being held several years after the freezing of the peace process.” However, the two countries insisted that the conference should set a time frame for serious negotiations on core issues, opening the way for dealing with other tracks of the peace process including the issue of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Awad emphasized the intent of both Saudi Arabia and Egypt to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, adding that the plan was in line with a decision taken by the last Arab League summit in Riyadh. “Strengthening Arab capabilities for peaceful use of nuclear energy is an Arab decision and several contacts have taken place on this matter since the Riyadh summit.”

Awad said the roles of Saudi Arabia and Egypt were complementary to each other and would serve Arab interests and issues. “Egypt is working to restart dialogue between Fatah and Hamas and has strongly rejected the siege of Gaza as it would lead to a human catastrophe,” he said.

In a related development, Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Rasheed Mohammed Rasheed said the king’s two-day state visit to Cairo would boost relations in all areas. “King Abdullah and President Mubarak give utmost importance to strengthening our strategic relations. We also work for the economic integration of the two countries, setting a model for other Arab countries,” Rasheed said.

He emphasized the Egyptian government’s desire to encourage Saudi and Egyptian investors to establish projects in both countries. “We have established an investment unit in the Kingdom to highlight opportunities in Egypt and provide assistance to Saudi companies willing to invest in our country.”

Rasheed said the last meeting of the Saudi-Egyptian Business Council had agreed to establish a joint company with a capital of 500 million Egyptian pounds to support joint ventures. A number of Saudi companies are now planning to establish new projects in industry, agricultural, petrochemicals, textiles and hotel industry.

On arrival at Riyadh airport, King Abdullah was greeted by Crown Prince Sultan, and other senior princes and officials including Prince Badr, deputy commander of the National Guard, Interior Minister Prince Naif and Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman.

Kingdom, Egypt Urge ‘Serious ME Talks’

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'Hamas may use terror to thwart peace'
Mark Weiss , THE JERUSALEM POST    Nov. 11, 2007

Hamas may try to carry out terrorist attacks to torpedo the peace process if it looks like the Annapolis conference and the ensuing negotiations will achieve progress, according to OC Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas needs to achieve diplomatic momentum and bring about changes on the ground to boost his own standing amongst the Palestinian population, he told government ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting. If he fails, the opposite will happen, he said, adding: "Failure of the conference could bring about a serious risk of strengthening the extremists."

Israeli counterterrorism operations continue to thwart the ongoing attempts by Hamas to carry out attacks, Yadlin said. Hamas was currently focusing its efforts on building up its military infrastructure, training and increasing its supplies of weapons in preparation for an expected large scale IDF thrust into Gaza, he said. Ten tons of TNT were smuggled into the Gaza Strip in the last month alone, he said.

Yadlin denied there was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but said, "It's not a place I would want to live."

National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer expressed support for the Annapolis conference, but said he had doubts over the ability of the Palestinian moderates to actually deliver.

"Annapolis is not Camp David, Annapolis is the beginning of a process," Yadlin responded. The aim of the process, he said, was to give the moderates sufficient benefits to strengthen their position.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to hold cabinet debates on Annapolis both before the conference - tentatively set for two weeks from now - and after.

"There is no commitment to any timetable," he said. "I want to move forward cautiously and responsibly, but I want to move forward."

Olmert said the alternative to Annapolis was a continuation of the status quo, which would be bad for Israel.

"Anyone who believes the status quo is good for Israel is either deluding themselves or living in a fantasy world," he said.

Israeli negotiators will demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state during negotiations following the Annapolis conference.

However, Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisen, refused to classify such a demand as a precondition for the talks to progress.

"There's nothing new here," she said. "The prime minister has consistently stated that Israel sees the two-state solution as two nation-states side by side - a Jewish State of Israel and a Palestinian state."

A senior official denied reports on Sunday that Israel was considering easing the definition of Palestinian security prisoners "with blood on their hands" ahead of a possible future release.

The official confirmed that the security establishment was examining the possibility of a further release following a request from the PA for Israel to free another 2,000 detainees, but he denied any change in classification was being considered.

'Hamas may use terror to thwart peace'

[Shammu]

'Annapolis conference will take place on Tuesday November 27'
JPost.com Staff
THE JERUSALEM POST
Nov. 12, 2007

The Annapolis peace conference will take place on Tuesday November 27 and last one day, Army Radio quoted an Israeli diplomatic source as saying Monday.

According to the source, after the conference Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to stay in the US for a series of meetings with high-ranking officials.

'Annapolis conference will take place on Tuesday November 27'
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I'd love to be the fly on the wall, for this conference.................

[Shammu]

Olmert Says Annapolis Meeting To Last One Day

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Monday that the planned Annapolis conference on the Middle East will be over in one day. The United States has not yet announced the date of the meeting, which media have reported will take place during the least week of November. He added that the meeting will provide the basis for further negotiations with international backing.

However, official invitations to Annapolis have not yet been sent out by American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is trying to marshal more support among Arab nations as well as working on framework on which both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel can agree.

Olmert Says Annapolis Meeting To Last One Day
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If Olmert is convinced it will only take one day. This must be a almost done deal......... If so WE are out of here soon.