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Palestinians And Israelis Disagree On Issues
CAIRO, Jan 22 (IslamOnline) - Palestinian and Israelis started talks in the Egyptian resort of Taba Sunday night despite strong objections by Israeli ministers over the talks while Israeli elections are approaching.
In defiance of rigid conditions put forward by the Israeli delegation, the Palestinian team signaled out to reporters their wish to reach an agreement soon.
"There is a possibility of reaching an agreement, otherwise why should we have gone?" said Nabil Abu Rudaineh, Arafat's senior advisor.
Israel said it was going to the talks on the understanding that it would never grant the return of Palestinian refugees inside the Jewish state. It also remained adamant over discussing the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said he would never transfer sovereignty over the al-Aqsa mosque to Palestinians and that 80% Jewish settlements would remain under Israeli sovereignty.
The Palestinian delegation said they looked forward to reaching a full agreement while the Israelis said they might shelve a proposal by former U.S. President Bill Clinton made last month.
The Clinton plan parameters included a division of Jerusalem, a sort of co-domination of the Temple Mount and giving up the resettlement of refugees.
In response to the Israeli position, the Palestinian delegation said if conditions were not modified, the talks were destined to fail.
Anakysts believe that if both sides fail to reach an agreement before Israeli elections take place on February 6th, the only alternative would be a continuation of the Palestinian Intifada - the uprising against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian delegation, led by Palestinian Legislative Council spokesman Ahmad Korei, resumed discussions with the Israelis over Jerusalem, resettlements of Palestinian refugees and water sources division.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is flying to Saudi Arabia Tuesday to drum up Arab support for the Intifada if no agreements are reached.
Meanwhile, opposition to the marathon talks was mounting inside Israel. Interior Minister Haim Ramon told Barak that it is not "proper, ethical, or right to have such negotiations close to the elections," Israeli newspapers reported Monday.
"If Barak is sure that he will win, as he said yesterday, then he should wait until the day after the election to negotiate," Ramon said. "Conducting negotiations now taints the peace process, since it looks, even in the eyes of those who support it, as it is being conducted for political gain."
On the other hand, Barak said despite of the small chance of reaching any agreements, the Israeli government has to try everything to revive the peace talks, affirming that the talks would go forward as if there were no elections.
"It is preferable for us to be there, than not to be there. We are in the midst of a violent conflict, and the solution is a diplomatic one. We do not need to be the ones who stop negotiations," Barak said.
As for the fate of a possible agreement, if any, in case Ariel Sharon, the extremist right-wing leader of the Likud Party, was to take office after the February 6th elections, Palestinian minister of planning and international cooperation Nabil Shaath said Palestinians would insist on obtaining guarantees that agreements made at the talks would be honored under Sharon.
"If we sign an agreement, that agreement will have guarantees, Security Council backing, and international troops to make sure that it is implemented - that really means that whomever governs Israel should be committed under international law. If we reach an agreement that has that type of backing, then we are not afraid."
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