Israel & Middle East Peace Conference

[Shammu]

Saudi official rules out handshake with Israelis
26 Nov 2007 23:06:37 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's participation in the U.S.-sponsored talks on Middle East peace was seen as a diplomatic coup for the Bush administration but the kingdom has made clear there will be no handshakes with Israeli officials.

"We are not here for theater. We are here for the serious business of making peace. We are not here to give an impression that everything is normal," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters on Monday, on the eve of the conference to be held in Annapolis, Maryland.

"We will not do anything that will divert from the seriousness of the occasion, (such as) shaking hands to give an impression of something that is not there," he said.

Saudi Arabia had been noncommittal until last week over whether it would attend the Annapolis conference. The kingdom, which is the birthplace of Islam, has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested he would not be offended by the lack of handshake, nor would he push the issue.

"I won't extend my hand to whoever isn't ready to shake the hand of the people of Israel," Olmert said, referring to the Saudi foreign minister. "But I am happy he is here."

Handshakes have been important symbols in past Middle East peacemaking efforts.

In 1979, when Egypt became the first of any of Israel's neighbors to sign a peace treaty with it, the deal was sealed with a handshake on the White House lawn between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

And in 1993, with U.S. President Bill Clinton looking on, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat shook hands in public for the first time.

Bush last week telephoned Saudi King Abdullah to formally invite his country to participate in the Annapolis conference.

Faisal said the Saudis agreed to attend because they had been given "the assurance that the United States will use its full influence in the negotiations for final status to bring about an agreement" between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"If the two sides don't come with enough ideas to settle these issues, we assume that the United States will come with its own ideas," he said.

Saudi official rules out handshake with Israelis

[Shammu]

Israelis, Palestinians agree new bilateral talks
herb keinon, jerusalem post correspondent
THE JERUSALEM POST
Nov. 27, 2007

In an august ceremony here, Israel and the Palestinian Authority - after months of wrangling that went down to the very last minute - formally launched a new round of bilateral negotiations they hope will culminate in an agreement on the establishment of the new state of Palestine alongside Israel within a year.

US President George W. Bush, who initiated this conference more than four months ago and has set a breakthrough in the Middle East as a key goal of his last year in office, read the joint understanding that the sides agreed upon just before the three leaders delivered speeches at the US Naval Academy's Memorial Hall.

Each of the speeches pledged allegiance to the vision of a two-state solution, and were delivered to the applause and endorsement of representatives from more than 40 countries, including some 20 Arab and Islamic states, the vast majority of which have no diplomatic ties with Israel.

Saying that the parties were meeting to "lay the foundation for the establishment of a new nation - a democratic Palestinian state that will live side-by-side with Israel in peace and security," Bush said that the joint statement represented a "strong start."

"In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements," Bush read from the statement.

The negotiations are to start on December 12, and - according to the statement - the two sides agree "to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008."

Olmert made clear in his speech that the negotiations would take place in Israel and the PA.

The joint understanding, which includes a declaration "to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis," calls for the establishment of a steering committee, led by the head of the delegations, that will meet continuously. The steering committee will then set up working groups to address the various issues. Abbas and Olmert will also continue with their bi-weekly meetings.

Israeli diplomatic officials said that no date had yet been set for beginning the working group sessions, and that Israel was not yet prepared for them.

Israeli officials said that one of the key elements of the joint understanding was that the US would act as referee to determine when the sides had fulfilled their commitments under the road map. Israel has said that any agreement hammered out would not be implemented until the Palestinians fulfilled their road map requirements to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza.

The join understanding had not yet been agreed upon when the parties arrived by helicopter in Annapolis in the morning. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, according to Israeli sources, gave the document to Abbas and said the time had come to sign. When he balked, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - according to both Israeli and Palestinian officials - pulled him aside and convinced him to do so.

Bush began the long-awaited conference with a speech in which he said that both the Palestinians and Israel each understood that "helping the other to realize their aspirations is key to realizing their own aspirations - and both require an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state." Bush said this state would provide Palestinians "with the chance to lead lives of freedom and purpose and dignity," and would give Israelis something "they have been seeking for generations: to live in peace with their neighbors." Bush said that the Israelis, Palestinians and the international community all had steps they needed to take in order to bring about a successful conclusion to the process.

He said the Palestinians "must show the world they understand that while the borders of a Palestinian state are important, the nature of a Palestinian state is just as important." He called on them explicitly to dismantle the "infrastructure of terror." Israel, he said, must "show the world that they are ready to begin - to bring an end to the occupation that began in 1967, through a negotiated settlement.

He said that Israel must demonstrate its support for the creation of a Palestinian state by "removing unauthorized outposts, ending settlement expansion, and finding other ways for the Palestinian Authority to exercise its responsibilities without compromising Israel's security." He also said that the Palestinian state would be the homeland for the Palestinians, just as Israel was the homeland for the Jews.

Bush called on the Arab world, which he had labored hard over the last few weeks to get into the room, to "reach out to Israel, work toward the normalization of relations, and demonstrate in both word and deed that they believe that Israel and its people have a permanent home in the Middle East." Failure, Bush warned, would be a victory for the extremists, who he said were "seeking to impose a dark vision on the Palestinian people - a vision that feeds on hopelessness and despair to sow chaos in the Holy Land."

Bush was followed to the podium by Abbas, who - speaking in Arabic - made reference to Bush's legacy, saying, "We hope that this will be the culmination of your legacy for the world - a world more free of violence, persecution and fanaticism."

He said that the process launched at Annapolis "will lead to ending the occupation in all the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem, as well as the Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon, and as it will also lead to resolving all the other permanent-status issues. Chief among these is the plight of Palestinian refugees, which must be addressed holistically - that is, in its political, human, and individual dimensions."

Abbas spoke in lofty terms about the conference, saying that the history in the region could be divided into the "pre-Annapolis era and its aftermath. In other words, the exceptional opportunity that the Arab, Islamic and international presence brings today, coupled with overwhelming Palestinian and Israeli public opinion in support of Annapolis, must be seized in order to be a launching pad for a negotiations process."

He said that the negotiations would deal with "all permanent-status issues, including Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements, security and water, as well as others." He called on Israel to freeze settlement construction, reopen Palestinian institutions in east Jerusalem, remove checkpoints, release prisoners and facilitate "the mission of the Palestinian Authority in restoring law and order." He reiterated that the Palestinians wanted east Jerusalem as their capital, and that this was key to any agreement.

He said this capital would have open relations with west Jerusalem, and that freedom of religion would be guaranteed.

In a direct appeal to the Israel, he said, "You are the neighbors on this small land. Neither we nor you must beg for peace from the other. It is a joint interest for us and you. Peace and freedom is a right for us, just as peace and security is a right for you and us."

"It is time for the circle of blood, violence and occupation to end. It is time for us to look at the future together with confidence and hope. It is time for this tortured land that has been called the land of love and peace to live up to its name," Abbas said.

Olmert, in his speech, was the only speaker to deal in any depth with the situation in Gaza, saying that the continued firing of Kassam rockets and Hamas's control of the Strip were all factors that "deter us from moving forward to hastily."

Yet, Olmert said he was going ahead with the process because neither Israel nor the Palestinians could any longer "cling to dreams which are disconnected from the sufferings of our peoples."

We want peace," Olmert said. "We demand an end to terror, incitement and hatred. We are willing to make painful compromises, rife with risks, in order to realize these aspirations."

Olmert, acknowledging Palestinian suffering, said that Israel would be part of an "international effort" to assist in finding a solution to the refugee problem within the framework of a future Palestinian state.

Olmert also called upon the Arab delegates in the hall to begin establishing ties.

"You cannot continue to stand by indefinitely and watch the peace train go by. It is time to end the boycott and alienation towards the State of Israel," he said.

Israelis, Palestinians agree new bilateral talks

[Shammu]

A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words

 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though
all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Zechariah 12:3

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy
all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:9

I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people,
My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land. Joel 3:2

Joint Understanding Read by President Bush at Annapolis Conference

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The Annapolis Declaration
THE JERUSALEM POST    Nov. 27, 2007

The following is the full text of the Annapolis Declaration

The representatives of the government of the state of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, represented respective by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and President Mahmoud Abbas in his capacity as Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian Authority, have convened in Annapolis, Maryland, under the auspices of President George W. Bush of the United States of America, and with the support of the participants of this international conference, having concluded the following joint understanding.

We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements.

We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008. For this purpose, a steering committee, led jointly by the head of the delegation of each party, will meet continuously, as agreed. The steering committee will develop a joint work plan and establish and oversee the work of negotiations teams to address all issues, to be headed by one lead representative from each party. The first session of the steering committee will be held on 12 December 2007.

President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert will continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to follow up the negotiations in order to offer all necessary assistance for their advancement.

The parties also commit to immediately implement their respective obligations under the performance-based road map to a permanent two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, issued by the Quartet on 30 April 2003 - this is called the road map - and agree to form an American, Palestinian and Israeli mechanism, led by the United States, to follow up on the implementation of the road map.

The parties further commit to continue the implementation of the ongoing obligations of the road map until they reach a peace treaty. The United States will monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both sides of the road map. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, implementation of the future peace treaty will be subject to the implementation of the road map, as judged by the United States.

The Annapolis Declaration

[nChrist]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother Bob, you and I both know from Bible Prophecy that there won't be any peace for Israel in this Age of Grace. Thanks for posting this news because it can serve as a road-marker for Bible Prophecy.

Most of the world doesn't have a clue about what GOD has already Promised will happen. Those who have studied Bible Prophecy are looking for a Seven Year Peace Treaty with Israel. The world will think this is wonderful, but we know it will be a false peace that will lead directly into the worst times in human history.

In fact, the Seven Year Peace Treaty with Israel is a KEY SIGN in Bible Prophecy that the Seven Year HORRORS of the Tribulation Period are to start. I hope and pray that most of our readers understand and appreciate why information like this is posted. For the lost, the time for accepting JESUS CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOUR is growing short.

For Christians, the time grows near for us to go to our REAL HOME - HEAVEN! This also means that our time to witness to the lost grows short.

Love In Christ,
Tom

RAPTURE

KEEP LOOKING UP!

THE RAPTURE WILL BE A REALITY!

1 Thessalonians 4:13 NASB  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 NASB  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 NASB  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 NASB  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

____________________________


1 Corinthians 15:50 NASB  Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

1 Corinthians 15:51 NASB  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

1 Corinthians 15:52 NASB  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:53 NASB  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:54 NASB  But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

1 Corinthians 15:55 NASB  "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O  DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

1 Corinthians 15:56 NASB  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

[Shammu]

Syrian, Lebanese delegates slam Israel
Herb Keinon
THE JERUSALEM POST
Nov. 28, 2007

The Syrian delegate to the Annapolis Conference delivered a strident and uncompromising speech Tuesday afternoon saying that an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan should not be considered a "painful compromise" since it was not Israel's land to begin with.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, speaking at a workshop entitled "Towards a Comprehensive Middle East Peace," said - according to Israeli officials who heard the speech - that Israel should return the Golan, and then Damascus would consider normalization of ties.

No independent transcript of his comments was available.

According to Israeli officials, Miqdad also called on Israel to leave the Sheba Farms-Har Dov area.

As strident as Miqdad was in his comments, Lebanon's delegate - Minister of Culture Tarek Mitri - was even more so, saying that Israel needed to withdraw from not only Sheba Farms-Har Dov, but also the rest of the village of Rajr and a new area that he claimed Israel was occupying near the Sheba Farms.

"He sounded like a mouthpiece for Hizbullah propaganda," said one Israeli official, who added that Mitri had raised the issue of Lebanese prisoners, something that is always in Hizbullah's arsenal.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, meanwhile, said at one of the conference's afternoon sessions that a great deal was riding on "the success or failure of this [Annapolis] undertaking."

He said the Saudis came to Annapolis to "support the launching of serious and continuing talks" that will address all "core and final status issues." He said these talks needed to be followed by launching talks on the Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese tracks.

"It is absolutely necessary to establish an international follow-up mechanism that monitors progress in the negotiations among the parties, as well as the implementation of commitments made," he said.

He also said Israel must freeze all settlement activity, dismantle the settlement outposts, release prisoners, stop building the security barrier, remove Israeli checkpoints and lift the "siege imposed on the Palestinian people."

While in his speech Faisal did not deal with the issue of normalizing ties with Israel, a Saudi diplomat who did brief non-Israeli reporters on Tuesday said Israel could forget about normalization before peace was achieved with the Palestinians.

"You can't have the fruits of peace before you have peace," the official said.

Syrian, Lebanese delegates slam Israel

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 Negotiations on final status to get underway in 2 weeks
By Aluf Benn, Shmuel Rosner and Barak Ravid
Tags: P.A., final status, Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Israel and the Palestinians will begin final-status negotiations on December 12, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced yesterday in a joint statement read out by U.S. President George W. Bush at the Annapolis conference.

Speaking to reporters after the conference, Bush acknowledged that he was worried about the consequences if peace talks failed, but said: "It is worth it to try."

"I don't think it's a risk to try for peace," he said. "I think it's an obligation."

In a meeting with Olmert and Abbas before the conference, Bush said that the U.S. would not impose a solution on the parties, but would assist them.

In the joint statement, which was finalized only a few minutes before the conference, Olmert and Abbas promised to try to conclude the final-status agreement by the end of 2008. However, implementation of the agreement will be conditional on fulfillment of each side's obligations under the road map peace plan.

Both sides agreed that Washington will determine whether those obligations have been fulfilled. Bush has chosen General Jim Jones, a former commander of both NATO and the American forces in Europe, to serve as the arbiter, and Jones is due to arrive in the region in the coming days.

The first stage of the road map requires the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and Israel to freeze settlement construction and dismantle illegal outposts.

In his speech to the conference, Bush stressed the importance of establishing a Palestinian state and said that the timing is right because both leaders, Olmert and Abbas, truly want peace. In addition, he said, a battle is currently being waged over the future of the Middle East, "and when liberty takes root" in the West Bank and Gaza, this will "have an impact far beyond the Holy Land."

Bush also stressed that Palestine will be "a Palestinian homeland, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people." Later in the speech, he returned to this theme, saying that the U.S. was committed "to the security of Israel as a Jewish state and homeland for the Jewish people." A source in Olmert's entourage expressed great satisfaction with these statements, as well as the fact that Bush offered no proposals of his own on how to solve core issues of the conflict such as Jerusalem, borders and the refugees.

Bush did not mention Syria in his speech, but did address a few sentences to the need to strengthen democracy in Lebanon and the importance of that country's presidential elections taking place with no outside interference.

Abbas, who gave the longest and most detailed speech, stressed that the current moment was an opportunity "that might not be repeated." He praised Olmert's desire for peace and predicted that the Annapolis conference would prove a turning point in the history of the Middle East. He also noted repeatedly that the world will be watching the subsequent Israeli-Palestinian talks, and ended by urging his people not to lose hope.

Addressing Gaza residents in particular, he promised that "the hours of darkness will end," and Gaza and the West Bank will once more be united. Israeli officials expressed satisfaction with this statement, as Olmert has said in the past that any agreement will require Abbas to assume responsibility for Gaza as well.

Addressing the Israeli people, Abbas said: "Peace is not impossible, I extend a hand to you as an equal to equals."

Olmert, who was the last speaker, said that he came "despite the fears and the doubts and the hesitations, to say to you, President Abbas, and through you to your people and to the entire Arab world: The time has come. Neither we nor you have any more time to sink in dreams disconnected from the suffering of our people." He expressed sympathy for the Palestinians' suffering, and said that the refugees - though he did not use that word - could build a better future "in the Palestinian state that will be established on the territory agreed among us." He also promised that Israel would participate in international efforts to resolve this problem.

But while Olmert spoke of "two nation-states for two peoples," Abbas cited UN Resolution 194, which the Palestinians interpret as recognizing the refugees' "right of return" to Israel.

Olmert also mentioned Bush's letter to former prime minister Ariel Sharon, which recognized the settlement blocs.

Finally, he urged the Arab states to "end the boycott the alienation and the disregard" and praised the Arab peace initiative: "I admire this initiative, respect its importance and greatly esteem its contribution."

At the end of Olmert's speech, all the Arab delegates present applauded him, with the exception of Syria's deputy foreign minister. According to members of Olmert's entourage, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal initially hesitated, but after a moment, he too joined in the applause.

After their speeches, the three leaders left the hall and the conference continued at the foreign minister level, chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed a follow-up conference in Moscow in the spring of 2008. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa supported this idea, and said that negotiations should be expanded to include Syria and Lebanon as well.

The Saudi foreign minister also urged that negotiations begin on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, adding that much is riding on the success of the Annapolis initiative. He urged Israel to freeze construction of the settlements and the "wall" (i.e. the separation fence), free prisoners and evacuate outposts.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni urged the Arab states to "get off the fence" and understand that normalization is not a prize for Israel. She proposed normalization in stages.

Addressing the Palestinians, she urged them to stop mourning Israel's establishment and instead build a state of their own.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged the Palestinians to "say goodbye to violence" and promised to do whatever he could to help the negotiations succeed.

[Shammu]

Vatican official says Palestinian refugees have right to return

Published: 11.28.07, 21:40
Israel News

A Vatican official said Wednesday that Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their homeland, and said he hoped Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would address the issue.

Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the Vatican's office for migrants, said an agreement to restart peace talks, reached Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland, was encouraging and that he hoped by this time next year concrete measures would be under way.

Vatican official says Palestinian refugees have right to return

[nChrist]

Vatican official says Palestinian refugees have right to return

Published: 11.28.07, 21:40
Israel News

A Vatican official said Wednesday that Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their homeland, and said he hoped Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would address the issue.

Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the Vatican's office for migrants, said an agreement to restart peace talks, reached Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland, was encouraging and that he hoped by this time next year concrete measures would be under way.

Vatican official says Palestinian refugees have right to return

UM? - I'll assume that someone knows nothing about the Holy Bible AND History.

[Soldier4Christ]

UM? - I'll assume that someone knows nothing about the Holy Bible AND History.

... but they're the authority over what it all really means.   

[Shammu]

Palestinian Authority TV shows" Palestine" map erasing Israel
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - November 28, 2007

Just a day after Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the Annapolis peace conference pledged to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority continues to paint a picture for its people of a world without Israel.

View this video on windows media player

An information clip produced by the Palestinian Authority Central Bureau of Statistics and rebroadcast today on Abbas-controlled Palestinian television, shows a map in which Israel is painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag, symbolizing Israel turned into a Palestinian state.

The description of all of the state of Israel as "Palestine" is not coincidental, and is part of a formal, systematic educational approach throughout the Palestinian Authority. This uniform message of a world without Israel is repeated in school books, children's programs, crossword puzzles, video clips, formal symbols, school and street names, etc. The picture painted for the Palestinian population, both verbally and visually, is of a world without Israel.

The fact that this campaign continues before the ink on the Annapolis agreement is even dry appears to contradict the central promise of the Palestinians at the Annapolis conference: that Israel has a right to exist.

I won't be posting this link, back to the news site. I'm posting this under the "fair news act."

[Shammu]

SYRIA WANTS A "GLOBAL" PEACE

Annapolis, 28th November - Syria has expressed itself ready for peace and for a normalisation of relations with Israel, but not before the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the territories seized in 1967. The participation of Damascus at Annapolis has been defined, in the words of Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad, "one further step towards the attainment of a global peace in the region". The Maryland conference, he added, has been a "starting point" for negotiations on the same themes as those "launched by the Madrid conference".

Back then in 1991, on the negotiating table for peace conflicts between the Israelis and the Palestinians were discussed, along with Lebanon and relations between the Israeli state and Syria. When all of these subjects have been tackled, Mekdad said, and there has been "a complete withdrawal of Israel from Arab territories", then it will be possible to "establish normal relations with Israel".

SYRIA WANTS A "GLOBAL" PEACE

[Shammu]

Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad, "one further step towards the attainment of a global peace in the region".

It's so amazing, to sit here and watch Biblical prophecy unfolding before our eyes!!

[nChrist]

It's so amazing, to sit here and watch Biblical prophecy unfolding before our eyes!!

Brother Bob,

I've been thinking exactly the same thing. It is fascinating, even though I know things are going to be horrible. What's fascinating is knowing that the Bible has proven itself to be absolutely true countless times in the past, and what Bible Prophecy is yet to be fulfilled will also be proven perfectly and absolutely TRUE. One of the things that amazes me is the 100% record of the Holy Bible and the huge number of people that pay no attention to it at all. Even many Christians pay almost no attention to what GOD Promises for the future. The FUTURE that the Bible may be talking about could now start any day. No man knows the day or the hour, but we should know that the time is soon. We don't know, but the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST COULD BE TONIGHT! We don't know, but the end of this Age of Grace could be tomorrow. We know that the world doesn't pay much attention to the Holy Bible or Bible Prophecy, but what about Christians? Do average Christians realize that we might be spending our last days and hours on this evil earth? If so, don't all Christians have important things to do? Aren't there any burdens for lost friends and family members?

Love In Christ,
Tom

   

[Shammu]

Olmert warns of 'end of Israel'

Ehud Olmert has said failure to negotiate a two-state solution with the Palestinians would spell the end of the State of Israel.

He warned of a "South African-style struggle" which Israel would lose if a Palestinian state was not established.

Mr Olmert was returning from the Annapolis conference in the US where he and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas pledged to launch formal peace talks.

The two leaders set a goal of reaching a peace deal with US support in 2008.

"If the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights, then the State of Israel is finished" - Ehud Olmert

Reactions to Annapolis

US President George W Bush called Annapolis, the first substantive Arab-Israeli peace talks in seven years, a "hopeful beginning" for Mid-East peace.

Mr Olmert said it was not the first time he had articulated his fears about the demographic threat to Israel as a Jewish state from a faster growing Palestinian population.

He made similar comments in 2003 when justifying the failed strategy of unilateral withdrawals from Israeli-occupied land which holds large Palestinian populations.

"If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights, then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished," Mr Olmert is quoted saying in Haaretz newspaper.

New monitor

After the ceremonies at Annapolis and the White House, the US appointed former Nato commander Gen James Jones as its new Middle East envoy.

KEY ISSUES (Below are a few links. DW)

Jerusalem

Water

Refugees

Borders and settlements

History of failed talks

Among his tasks will be to monitor how the Israelis and Palestinians live up to the security commitments made under the relaunched international peace plan known as the roadmap, which forms the basis for the negotiations.

"Building security in the Middle East is the surest path to making peace in the Middle East," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said of his appointment.

"Gen Jones is the best individual to lead our efforts in this essential endeavour."

Mr Bush promised to use American power "to help you as you come up with the necessary decisions to lay out a Palestinian state that will live side-by-side in peace with Israel".

According to the agreement, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders will meet every other week and teams of negotiators led by a joint steering committee will meet on 12 December.

 Last year's Palestinian parliamentary election winner Hamas - which does not recognise Israel and has been shunned by the US and Israel as a terrorist organisation - immediately rejected Annapolis as a "failure".

There have been angry protests in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, and the West Bank since the summit.

Expectations had been low as representatives of more than 40 countries and international agencies gathered in Annapolis ahead of Tuesday's conference.

But in a joint statement concluded with only minutes to spare before the conference formally opened, the two sides agreed to launch negotiations for a treaty "resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception".

Both sides have said those "core issues" will include the thorny so-called "final-status issues" - the future of Jerusalem, borders, water, refugees and settlements - which have scuppered previous attempts at a peace deal.

Olmert warns of 'end of Israel'