UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26: Major powers steering Middle East diplomacy on Friday put the onus on Palestinians to open the way to fresh peace talks with Israel by cracking down on militants and forming a strong new government able and willing to stop attacks on Israelis.
Meeting against a backdrop of deep pessimism over the deteriorating Middle East conflict, the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations recognized Israel’s right to self-defense, but balanced that with calls for an end to settlement activity, criticism of an Israeli security fence and an appeal that Israel minimize civilian casualties.
Their common position was almost indistinguishable from that of the United States, Israel’s main ally and the only party with strong influence over the Israeli government.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan added a note of dissent, however, saying the time had come for “bold steps”.
“It seems to me that bold steps, in keeping with the road map (peace plan), are now necessary to salvage peace. Small steps have not worked. They are unlikely to work in the future,” Annan said at a news conference with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and two senior representatives of the European Union.
Annan did not say what those bold steps might be but in the past has proposed deploying multinational troops in the region, an idea strongly opposed by Israel and the United States.
One participant, who asked not to be identified, said the bold steps could be key elements selected from the peace plan and promoted as a quick way to restore confidence.
Annan’s remarks indicated frustration with the incremental approach adopted in the Middle East peace plan known as the road map, which the mediators released in April.
BOGGED DOWN: The plan lays out steps the two sides should take along the way to setting up a Palestinian state by 2005.
But it has bogged down over Israeli demands that the Palestinian Authority crack down on militants and Palestinian suspicions that Israel would give nothing in return, even if the authority dismantles militant groups like Hamas.
In the meantime, violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and Israeli threats to expel or kill Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, have made it harder to resume talks.
The four parties, known as the Middle East quartet, met for convenience on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly but diplomats said little would happen until violence subsides and a new Palestinian government is formed.
The European Union saw the statement as a way to keep the United States engaged in Middle East diplomacy.
“There was frustration and gloom but not despair,” a European Union diplomat said. “We achieved our minimum.”
A quartet statement said: “They (the quartet members) call on the Palestinians to take immediate and decisive steps against individuals and groups planning violent attacks.
“The Palestinian Authority must be consolidated under the clear control of an empowered Prime Minister and Interior Minister and must be the sole armed authority in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told reporters after a meeting with Powell later that the Palestinians would form a government early next week. Arafat has picked Ahmed Qurie to be the new prime minister.
The quartet did not mention the two controversies over Arafat: the US campaign to isolate him, which is opposed by the Europeans, or Israel’s threats to expel him, which is opposed by all of the quartet members.
But it did include relatively strong language on the security wall, or fence, that Israel is building through the West Bank to keep out Palestinian bombers.
The quartet members complained that the fence takes up Palestinian land, restricts the movement of people and goods, and undermines Palestinian trust in the peace plan.
BLOCKADE: The Israeli army reimposed a strict blockade across all the occupied Palestinian territories on Thursday night over fears of attacks during the upcoming Jewish New Year, a military spokesman said.
He said that for the whole of Rosh Hashanah between Friday night and Sunday night, Israel will prevent any Palestinians from entering its territory, except for residents of the eastern sector of occupied Al Quds.
ISRAEL SNUBS ARAFAT: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat urged Israel on Thursday to work with the Palestinians towards a lasting peace in holiday greetings dismissed by Israel as propaganda.
Yasser Arafat made the comments in a message sent to Israeli President Moshe Katsav on the eve of the Jewish New Year, which started on Friday.
“On this occasion we pray to God to enable us to work together honestly to build the basis for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace and to achieve the historic reconciliation aspired to by our two neighbouring Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” Mr Arafat said in the message.
“Let’s not only wish, let’s inaugurate a new chapter in the history of our people, a chapter without terrorism, without violence, killing, demolition, uprooting of trees and occupation,” he added.—Reuters / AFP