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WASHINGTON, Dec 19: The United States will block the adoption of a “roadmap” on Israeli-Palestinian peace by an international diplomatic “quartet” until after Israel’s election next month, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday.
“Because of the Israeli election, because of the number of issues that are before the Israeli public right now, we think it would be wiser in this instance for us to continue to work on the roadmap and wait until after the Israeli election is over.”
Europe had previously issued a strong call for the roadmap to be adopted at a meeting here on Friday of the quartet, which includes the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.
BUSH POSITION ON ‘ROADMAP’: US President George W. Bush on Thursday told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he hopes to move forward on a “roadmap” to Middle East peace “at the soonest possible moment,” the White House said.
In a telephone conversation, the US leader renewed his commitment to seeking peace in the region based on the eventual creation of a Palestinian state living at peace with neighbor Israel, said spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Bush told Mubarak that “although consultations on the roadmap are not yet complete, we are committed to moving forward at the appropriate time on the road map to help the parties find a path to peace in the Middle East,” he said.
The United States said earlier on Wednesday it would block the adoption of the three-phase plan — which calls for creating a Palestinian state by 2005 — until after Israel’s January 28 elections, sparking Arab anger.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the international diplomatic quartet on the Middle East would not finalize the plan on Friday at a ministerial level meeting, despite firm calls for such a move from Europe and Jordan.
Bush on Friday will share ideas on Middle East peace on Friday when he hosts leaders from the quartet — which groups Russia, the European Union, the United Nations and the United States — at the White House, said Fleischer.
“The president looks forward to meeting with the quartet tomorrow ... to work together on making progress toward peace in the Middle East,” the spokesman said.
“The United States has many ideas that we look forward to sharing about how to keep progress moving forward, and the quartet has been very constructive in that process,” he added.
Prodded on US support for the peace initiative, Fleischer replied: “I would hesitate to put a finite date on it, but the president would like to move forward with it at the soonest possible moment.”—AFP
