Qorei reportedly met, in secret, with Mofaz to pave way for resumption of peace talks

By Abdul Raheem Ali, IOL Staff

CAIRO, November 1 (IslamOnline.net) – Egypt and the United States have effectively been sponsoring secret contacts between Palestinian Premier Ahmed Qorei and his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon to pave the way for the revival of the long-stalled peace negotiations, well-placed Palestinian sources told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, November 1.

According to the selfsame sources, Qorei had secretly met over the past few days with a number of top Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.

"The meetings, held under the auspices of Egypt and the U.S., aim at hammering out specific and clear understandings,"  between Qorei and Sharon before the Palestinian premier engages in an all-inclusive dialogue with Palestinian factions, the Palestinian sources underlined.

They cited, in this respect, a "pivotal American role" in the talks, especially that Qorei’s meetings with Israeli officials were preceded by meetings with high-level American officials to map out a plan for re-launching Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the internationally-endorsed roadmap blueprint.

During the secret talks the Israelis pressed for dismantling the infrastructure of the so-called "Palestinian terrorist groups" – an Israeli-American reference to Palestinian resistance groups - the Palestinian sources told IOL.

The main Palestinian demand through out, they added, was an extended ceasefire sponsored by the United States with clear and specific guarantees.

The sources said Qorei’s revival of dialogue with the Palestinian resistance factions has been delayed by the absence of specific understandings with the Israeli government on future steps.

On Thursday, October 30, Sharon said he was ready to negotiate with the Palestinians at any time, admitting contacts were already underway, though "not at prime minister level".

A day later, Trade and Industry Minister Ehud Olmert, who is number two in the Israeli cabinet, described such contacts as "very serious", but without elaborating.

Palestinian presidential adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina confirmed the contacts but dismissed Sharon's announcement as "not serious and domestically motivated".

Hawkish Sharon had come under fire from Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon this week over his uncompromising attitude towards the Palestinians.

Yaalon charged that Sharon’s refusal to curb restrictions on the Palestinians early enough had undermined the position of Qorei's moderate predecessor, Mahmud Abbas.

National Unity Cabinet

The well-informed Palestinian sources ruled out any connection between Qorei’s secret talks with Israeli officials and the formation of his new government.

"Qorei is awaiting Arafat’s approval to form a broader national unity government," they added, asserting that Cairo is exerting tireless efforts with the veteran Palestinian leader to convince him that such a cabinet would be the only way out of the current impasse.

"Egypt is also working with the various Palestinian Islamic factions to accept Qorei’s government," said the Palestinian sources.

"The Palestinian factions would not accept an emergency or a single-minded government," Naif Hawatma, Secretary General of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), told IOL Saturday.

"The only way for the Palestinian Authority to emerge from the current logjam is via forming a national unity government based on a comprehensive and unified political platform," he asserted.