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Palestinian Premier Discusses Israeli Disengagement, Reforms With Rice

Posted on: Saturday, 23 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

Text of report by Palestinian news agency Wafa web site

Ramallah, 23 July: Prime Minister Ahmad Quray, also known as Abu- Ala, today stressed that the anticipated Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in the middle of next month must be part of the peace process and the road map plan. He also stressed that the legal status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip must be maintained as one political and geographic entity.

During his meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the presidential office in Ramallah this morning in the presence of the ministerial committee in charge of following up issues related to the anticipated Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank, Quray stressed the need to obtain clarifications from the Israeli side on the status of the northern West Bank after withdrawal so that this withdrawal will be part of the peace process as a whole.

The prime minister discussed with the US secretary of state the preparations made for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the need to prepare for what follows withdrawal.

Abu-Ala started the meeting by reviewing the situation on the ground in view of the Israeli military escalation, which threatens current efforts by the Palestinian government to maintain calm. This escalation, he said, threatens the return of violence and counter violence. He called on the US Administration to intervene and put pressure on Israel to maintain calm and stop its aggression, which is taking the form of assassinations, arrests and incursion into Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Hebron, Gaza, Bethlehem and all governorates.

The prime minister welcomed the idea of holding an international peace conference after Israel's withdrawal provided that this conference leads to the activation of the peace process as a prelude to implementing the road map plan and starting the permanent-status negotiations. This, he said, will give hope in a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of establishing an independent Palestinian state with holy Jerusalem as its capital. This state will then live side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security, he added.

The prime minister reviewed the regrettable developments and events which took place in the Gaza Strip, noting that security was maintained on the basis of the existence of one authority and the basis of the supremacy of the law and the legitimacy of the authority. He also reviewed the Palestinian National Authority's [PNA] efforts to maintain security, impose the law and continue the reform process. This process, he said, includes holding legislative elections, holding the last stage of local elections and building the democratic regime for which the Palestinian people aspire.

During the meeting, the prime minister stressed the need to prepare for the post-Israeli withdrawal stage, indicating that the Israeli violations, represented by the continuation of settlement expansion, the construction of the racial segregation wall, the pre- emption of the results of the final-status negotiations and the serious annexation and Judaization of Jerusalem, threaten to destroy the peace process. These practices, he said, will force us to return to the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly to raise these extremely important and serious issues.

Abu-Ala called for an active US role and practical pressures on the Israeli government to stop these violations and rescue the peace process. He stressed the need to provide generous financial aid to the PNA during and after withdrawal in order to rebuild the West Bank and Gaza Strip and enable the Palestinian citizens to live a dignified life.

The prime minister reviewed Palestinian efforts to ensure the success of the anticipated Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, stressing that the PNA is determined to do all that is necessary to ensure a peaceful and calm withdrawal. In this regard, he referred to the decisions made by the Council of Ministers and the ministerial committee formed for this purpose, particularly last week's decisions.

The Palestinian-US talks dealt with bilateral relations and issues of concern to the two sides.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised the efforts made by the PNA and Palestinian government to maintain security, impose the law and undertake reform. She stressed that the US Administration's position on establishing a Palestinian state is a real commitment it seeks to fulfil. She also stressed that nothing should be made to prejudice the final-status situation. She indicated that she is in constant contact and coordination with Mr James Wolfensohn, envoy of the Quartet [the UN, the EU, Russia, the USA] and with General Ward on issues pertaining to the Israeli withdrawal procedures with the aim of ensuring its success and creating a local, regional and international atmosphere conducive to the attainment of the two-state solution.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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