"When we call on our people to be ready for appeasement, the other party should be also ready for halting all of its operations," said Abbas

JERICHO, June 20 (IslamOnline.net) – Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Friday, June 20, that Palestinians still have demands to be met before compliance with their own obligations.

"When we call on our people to be ready for appeasement, the other party should be also ready for halting all of its operations," Abbas said in a press conference with the visiting American official at his side.

He said Palestinian factions want a political solution to the crisis, but "Israeli provocations are feared to stymie any peace efforts."

Abbas cited as peace-blocking measures Israel’s all-out blockade of Palestinian areas and restrictions clamped on the movement of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who has been besieged by Israeli tanks to his Ramallah presidential headquarters.

"The Israeli acts show a hesitation to adopt the new road to progress," achieved in the Aqaba meeting, he stressed.

Abbas vocalized hope Israel would "change itself from an enemy into a partner," after its attacks did a disserve to his efforts to reach a ceasefire with Palestinian factions.

Israeli occupation forces killed more than 20 Palestinians in a number of massive raids, that also targeted Palestinian activists, few days after the three-way meeting in Aqaba.

Observers said the Palestinian prime minister’s comments marked a different approach than that seen at Aqaba peace summit, where he mainly focused on his government’s obligations and ignored reference to Israel’s.

During the summit, attended by U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Abbas, Abbas vowed to end "violence and terrorism" in Palestinian territories and end the "militarization" of Intifada.

"We will exert our full efforts using all our resources to end the militarization of the Intifada, and we will succeed," he had said, in a forceful declaration promising to meet Israeli and U.S. demands.

Also, in Aqaba Abbas made no mention of Arafat’s plight, who has been boycotted by the U.S.

After the summit, Abbas engaged in a series of talks with Palestinian factions, where commitment to peace was tied to resolving pending issues such as the refugees and Palestinians jailed by Israel – which he made no mention of in his Aqaba statement.

The factions slammed Abbas’ speech at the summit, amid reports they demanded him to rescind it before any ceasefire talks.

Abbas told today’s conference with Powell that he has been focusing on bringing Hamas and the other groups on board to accept a truce deal with Israel, expecting it to be finalized "soon." 

But Powell said a ceasefire was not enough and the groups had to be completely neutralized, calling Hamas an enemy of peace.

"Even if those (ceasefire) discussions prove fruitful, we really have to get to a point ... where the only ones with guns and military force in any nation has to be the government under legal control."

Two British MPs said on Thursday, June 19, after returning from a tour to the region that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians was all similar to the Nazis’ treatment of Jews.

Powell, who flew in for a day of talks to revive flagging efforts to implement the roadmap, said in a press conference with Sharon earlier in the day that Washington would stand by Abbas in his efforts to boost security and rein in Palestinian resistance groups.

But, amid harsh criticisms from Palestinian factions, Abbas may have to think it over before fresh steps.