September 10, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1424

TEL AVIV, Sept 9: Ahmed Qorei, who is likely to succeed Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas, has proposed coming to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, Israeli public television said on Monday night.

Mr Qorei proposed a “true ceasefire accord” with Israel instead of a unilateral ceasefire declared by Palestinian militant groups in June, which effectively ended with a suicide bombing on Aug 19, sources close to the Israeli presidency were quoted as saying.

Israel has so far rejected any ceasefire accord, saying this can only come after militant groups are disabled.

Mr has also asked Israel to help relaunch the peace process in a message to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said on Tuesday.

“The success of the peace process is contingent upon Israel’s policies and acts on the ground. If you want me to succeed — help me,” said Mr Qorei, who is also known as Abu Ala, in the message sent to Mr Sharon’s office.

According to the paper, Mr Qorei asked Israel to stop its policy of assassinating Palestinian activists, lift road blocks in the occupied territories, free Palestinian prisoners, pull its troops out of West Bank towns and lift its siege on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Israel froze all contacts with the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the Aug 19 attack on a crowded bus, saying it was a natural consequence of a failure by outgoing premier Mahmoud Abbas to confront hardline groups such as Hamas.

US SUPPORT SOUGHT: Talking to reporters at his home in occupied Al Quds, Mr Qorei sought backing from the United States before taking up the post of prime minister.

“What I need is real US support on the real implementation of the roadmap,” he said. “These are my conditions still.”

Mr Qorei on Tuesday met consul general Gianni Ghisi of Italy, the country that currently holds the presidency of the European Union.

Asked if he had been given positive reaction to his call for EU support, the prime minister-designate said: “They (the Europeans) are showing goodwill.”

For his part, Mr Ghisi said that he had “reiterated the total support of the Europeans”.

“I wanted to know about Mr Qorei’s plan of action ... We support the continued reforms, notably with security,” he said.

Mahmoud Abbas’s resignation on Saturday was the culmination of an increasingly bitter battle with Yasser Arafat for complete control of the Palestinian security apparatus.

“There must be a single army and the roadmap must be revived in order that the quartet can meet as soon as possible,” Mr Ghisi added. —AFP