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April 22, 2005 |
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THE SECOND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER COMMENDS THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE SHOURA COUNCIL AND PRAISES THE RESULTS OF THE CROWN PRINCE'S VISIT TO FRANCE. ABU MAZEN REVIEWS WITH MUBARAK ISRAEL'S NEGLIGENCE OF SHARM AL SHEIKH AGREEMENT. SHARON CONTINUES HIS POLICY OF THREATS AROUND AL QUDS AND HIS GOVERNMENT POSTPONES ITS WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA. THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION PENALIZES ISRAEL FOR SELLING ARMS TO CHINA WHILE AMERICAN PERSONALITIES ORGANIZE A CAMPAIGN FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PALESTINIAN STATE. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General chaired the cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz commended the positive role played by the Shoura Council since its first session through the end of the third session. He expressed his appreciation of members whose terms of office has ended and wished all success for new members in the Council's fourth session, hoping they will faithfully and responsibly complete the march in the service of their religion, homeland and fellow citizens. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Dr. Jubarah Ibn Eid Al-Suraisiri, the Minister of Transport and Acting Minister of Culture and Information, said that Prince Sultan pointed out that the increase in the number of the Shoura Council's members during its sessions from 60 to 150 has given the Council a practical nature to gradually enhance the works qualitatively and quantitatively. Prince Sultan reaffirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince has been proceeding on the track of growth and development. He noted that the success achieved in the field of development and economy has come about as a result of a deep economic vision, long term strategic planning and a great flexibility in keeping abreast with world economic changes. The Cabinet was briefed on the outcomes of the visit paid by Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard to the Republic of France. The visit resulted in enhancing the strong and firm relations between the Kingdom and France at official and popular levels. The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the results of the visit, which laid stress on the distinguished international position of the Kingdom and its remarkable regional role, the minister said. On the Palestinian issue, the Cabinet denounced Israel's escalation in the Palestinian territories, seizure of territories in Palestinian villages, killing and displacing of the unarmed Palestinian people, and its continual obstruction of any positive steps on the track of peace. Dr. Al Suraisiri, the acting Minister of Culture and Information, told SPA that the meeting then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: Based on a proposal of the Experts Commission, an affiliate of the Cabinet, requesting a clear explanation of the word "bonds" mentioned in Paragraph 1 of the Cabinet's decision No. 131 dated 15/6/1419 H. so that the bonds issued by the livestock companies for pilgrims who purchase their animal sacrifices from them will serve as the bonds issued by the Islamic Development Bank, the Cabinet took a decision on an explanation of the word "bonds" so that it covers the bills, contracts and receipts. The Cabinet approved the draft of a general agreement for cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Albania in the fields of economy, commerce, investment, education, information, tourism, and sports. The Cabinet also approved a draft of a memorandum of scientific and educational understanding between the Ministry of Higher Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Arab Republic of Syria aiming at exchange of experience and experiments in the scientific, technological and administrative fields, the exchange of information in the field of graduate certification assessment and the exchange of scholarships and class seats. The Cabinet also approved a cooperation arrangement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Tunisia in the field of sea transportation and ports aiming at enhancing cooperation in the field of maritime transport and promoting the commercial vessels traffic between the ports of the two countries. The Cabinet approved the transfer of Abdullah Ibn Salih Ibn Ibrahim Al Mihaimeed from the post of Consultant to the post of Secretary General of the Supreme Judiciary Council; and the appointment of 'Isam Ibn Saad Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Saeed as Assistant Chief of the Experts Commission; and the appointment of Dr. Adel Ibn Mohammed Ibn Saeed Nofel as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the other hand Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa accused Israel of belittling a call from President Bush to halt settlement expansion on occupied land. Moussa told Reuters in an interview the Israelis would do nothing for peace with the Palestinians until they were "called to order" by the United States and peace hopes were "a bit far-fetched" under Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Israel enjoyed immunity from international law and would stick to a "don't care" stance until the United States and the rest of the international community replaced words with action on such issues as settlement building in the West Bank, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. "Somebody, and that is the U.S., must tell them 'No, if you continue that way we will take such and such action'," Moussa said. "But as long as it is just sitting and talking Israel will do nothing because they know they can get away with anything they want to do." Bush called publicly on Sharon after talks at his Texas ranch on Tuesday to halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank in line with commitments under a "road map" plan toward a peace deal with the Palestinians. Sharon's aide Dov Weisglass remarked soon after Bush's statement that U.S. policy on settlements was already known. "(That) is belittling the importance of what he said," Moussa said. "If Israel does not abide by the terms agreed upon in the roadmap, they have to be called to order." He would not specify what action he believed the United States should take, but he noted Israel received major financial assistance from Washington in the form of aid and debt guarantees. Sharon made no firm commitments in response to Bush's call and again said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to crack down harder on militants responsible for attacks on Israelis for peace talks to take place. Sharon is proceeding with plans to remove Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza later this year but has insisted Palestinians must settle for less than the entire West Bank in negotiations over a future state. Bush backs the Israeli position. "I am very pessimistic about the degree of implementation that the government of Mr Sharon will adopt," Moussa said. He said he would reserve judgment on the likelihood of U.S. action "to ensure that Israel respects what the President of the United States has said." The Arab League has appealed to the US, the Quartet and the UN to help prevent alleged hardline Jewish groups from attacking al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. "There are Israeli extremist groups that are planning to attack and destroy al-Aqsa Mosque," Muhammad Subaih, Palestinian delegate at the Arab League, said. Subaih accused Israel of obstructing the peace process and called on the international community to exert efforts to solve the problem of Al Quds and implement the international resolutions in this respect. Meanwhile Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa warned against Israel's rejection to stop settlement, saying "in that case, the peace process in the region will have reached the end." In a meeting with Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Ekrimah Sabri, both sides discussed dangers of the "Israeli extremists' threats to storm into al-Aqsa Mosque." They also discussed the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israeli "aggressive practices against the Palestinian people." Sheikh Sabri, for his part, expressed hope over an Arab move to ease the Palestinian people's sufferings and offer them humanitarian support. In Egypt President Mubarak received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen and his accompanying delegation in Sharm el-Sheikh. The meeting discussed the developments of the Palestinian cause mainly Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Following he meeting, President Abbas said talks have touched on domestic Palestinian positions and the developments related to Sharm el-Sheikh understandings on the Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian cities and releasing Palestinian prisoners. He said talks tackled also the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and its implications. He said he asserted to President Mubarak the Palestinian side willingness to coordinate with the Israeli side on the withdrawal from Gaza adding it is important to know where we stand. On reports about the adjournment of Palestinian elections, he said there is no thinking of delaying elections. As regards statements by US President George Bush that Israel would not withdraw to the frontiers of 1967, Abu Mazen said it is our understanding that President Bush informed the Israelis of the need for freezing settlement activities and that all issues such as settlements are subject to the final status negotiations. On the other hand President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered the different security services to come under the authority of three main institutions. Following several meetings with Premiere Ahmed Qurie, Minister of Interior Nasser Yosef, and a number of security chiefs, Abbas has issued four orders to integrate the Palestinian security services. The first decision says all Palestinian security services to be placed under the authority of the National Security Forces, the Interior Ministry, and the General Intelligence Service. Abbas has also, under the second order, demanded all security organizations to provide him with lists of all their members. Under the third order, Abbas instructed that only the Minister of Interior and chief of National Security Forces is responsible for all contacts between Palestinian security services and foreign bodies. President Abbas has ordered, in the fourth order, that the President's security forces "17" to remain as they are and carry out the duties assigned to them, except for the units that were attached to the National Security Forces in Gaza. Meanwhile PM, Ahmed Qurei', said Monday that the issue of the (Palestinian) prisoners in the Israeli jails has major priority on the agendas of the PLO and the Palestinian National Authority. During the weekly meeting, in Ramallah, the cabinet stressed on the necessity of releasing all Palestinian prisoners. It also called on the Israeli pacifists and the concerned countries to intervene and to end the Israeli oppression against Palestinian prisoners. The cabinet added that those prisoners should awarded the opportunity in decision making in the Palestinian policy. The cabinet called on the Israeli Government to assure their seriousness in the peace process as well as to perform a serious mutual coordination for implementing the Sharm Al-Sheikh Summit. It strongly condemned the Israeli killing, assassinations, arrests and storming of Palestinian cities, calling on the Israeli government to deal seriously with the Palestinian efforts .It held Israel responsible for any consequences might threat the state of calm. Only one week after the US President George Bush Urged the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to expand Israeli settlements, the Israeli government placed a tender to bid for building 50 additional housing units for the illegal Israeli settlement 'Elkana' in the heart of the West Bank. The chief Palestinian negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, commented on this step by saying that it would ruin President Bush's vision of a two-state solution according to the Road Map peace plan. "At the time where Israel talks about dismantling 2100 settlement units in Gaza, it is building thrice as much in the West Bank and East Jerusalem," Erekat added. The chief negotiator asserted that the Road Map plan included a cessation of all settlement expansion activities, including those what Israel calls "natural growth of settlements", and that the international community considered the Israeli settlements in Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. Israel has placed a tender to bid for selling 50 lots of land inside Elkana illegal settlement, in order to build housing units on them. The new tender, which was released on the website of the so-called "Israel Land Administration", allows the construction of one house on each lot of land, similar to the method of "build your own house". The Israeli land authority claimed these lands were "state owned", despite being located inside the West Bank territories, which was occupied by Israeli forces during the 1967-war, and considered according to all international laws and conventions as occupied land that Israel has no right in controlling. The tender also leases the lots of lands for rent over the period of 98 years, with a possibility to renew for another 98 years, describing the lands as "owned" by Israel. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Israel to follow US President George W. Bush's call to freeze all settlement activities on occupied territories in line with Israel's obligations under the US-backed roadmap to Middle East peace. "I hope that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will adhere to President Bush's call to stop all settlement activities because I believe this is the key to everything," Erekat said after Bush met Sharon in his Crawford ranch in Texas. Bush voiced his concern about West Bank settlement expansion and urged Sharon to meet his commitment to the US-sponsored roadmap peace plan which envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Erekat warned that the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would be undermined if Israel continued expanding Jewish settlements and building separation barrier in the West Bank. "This is a key issue. If the Israelis continue their policy of expanding settlements and constructing the security wall in the West Bank, it means that the vision of President Bush to establish a Palestinian state will vapor," said Erekat. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Tuesday that there are no legal settlements and urged Israel to halt its construction. "We hope that Prime Minister Sharon will heed President Bush's call to have a full cessation of settlement activities," Erekat said. "This is Israel's main obligation in the first phase of the road map: to stop all settlement activities." After meeting Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres in Tel Aviv, Erekat said Bush's remarks would "re-energize the road map." Israel is at odds with Bush administration over its plan to build 3,500 new houses linking Israel's biggest West Bank settlement bloc to Jerusalem. Palestinians accuses Israel of aiming to annex east Jerusalem seen as the capital of the future Palestinian state. Israel says the barrier wall is designed to fend off Palestinian attacks while Palestinians call it a land grab. During a joint press conference after talks, Sharon also reiterated the intention to keep large West Bank settlement blocs under any final peace agreement with the Palestinians. Bush, on his part, reaffirmed his support for Sharon's position. But Erekat said there are contradictions between the US call to freeze settlement activities and backing of Israel at the same time to retain large West Bank settlement blocs. "All settlement activities on the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967 including East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza are basically illegal," said Erekat. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian National Authority, also condemned Sharon's insistence on retaining West Bank settlements. "It is impossible to give legitimacy to any settlement activity or any settlement presence. The final status talks between Israel and the Palestinians should start without any preconditions," said Abu Rudeineh. Meanwhile Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon denied his intention to carry out other unilateral withdrawals after the withdrawal from Gaza set in July. In its weekly meeting, the Israeli Cabinet approved the start of building 150 temporary houses for the settlers who will be evacuated. Their total number is expected to reach 9,000 from 21 settlements in Gaza and four isolated settlements in the West Bank. The occupation army started large scale training as a test for withdrawal from Gaza and evacuation for the settlers. On the other hand Palestinian Supreme Judge Taysir al-Tamimi spoke of an Israeli "scheme adopted by Israel's Premier Ariel Sharon to judaize Jerusalem and to expand settlement in the occupied Palestinian lands", saying "Sharon persists on partitioning the Palestinian territories." In a statement on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Islamic Affairs' Higher Council, Tamimi said "the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip should synchronize with other withdrawals from the West Bank." He also pointed out that Sharon gave green light to expand settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem when he issued his decision to withdraw from Gaza. In Jakarta tens of thousands of Muslim Indonesians held a peaceful anti-Israel protest and rallied outside the US embassy in what police said appeared to be the largest demonstration the city has seen in years. Local radio reported that thousands of others held similar marches in several other cities and towns across the archipelago to protest Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people and alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. Similar large-scale protests, were reported in several Indonesian cities and towns, including Surabaya in East Java, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Bandar Lampung in the southern part of Sumatra island and Jepara in Central Java. The protestors began gathering at about 7:00 am and at its peak the march stretched for more than 2.5 kilometres, blocking off one side of the divided multi-lanes main road through the city's business district. Some members of the crowd sat on the grass at a park across from the heavily-guarded US embassy to hear speeches. Speakers lashed out at Israel and demanded that Washington stop financial or political support for the state. The protest was so large that those toward the end of the march were still moving while their compatriots spent about 45 minutes outside the embassy. They then moved nearby to the city's main Istiqlal mosque and disbanded after noon prayers there. Police could not immediately give a crowd estimate. An officer from the Central Jakarta police said only that they numbered "tens of thousands." The officer added that it appeared to be the biggest rally he had seen in Jakarta in the past years. In Ramallah Negotiations Committee stressed that Israeli government should carry out Sharm Al-Sheikh understandings, specially the withdraw from Palestinian cities and the release of prisoners. In its meeting in Ramallah headed by President Mahmoud Abbas and with the presence of PM, the Committee confirmed the illegality of settlements, considering their continuation and the construction of the Apartheid wall as a blast to the state of calm. The Committee concluded that withdrawal from Gaza should be coincided with a timetable comply Israel to withdraw from the rest of the West Bank areas. Meanwhile the US coordinator Lt General William Ward stressed the importance of supporting the security authorities in Palestine so that that it could restore laws. In a press statement after meeting with representatives from donors countries he said a number of countries have expressed their willingness to support and help the Palestinian security services in their building process. In Tel Aviv it was unveiled that the Pentagon will penalize Israel as relations between Israel and the United States are in crisis over Israel's continued defense and security relations with China. The United States has accused Israel of concealing a recent upgrade of a major Israeli weapons system sold to China in the mid-1990s. Israeli and U.S. officials said the U.S. Defense Department has accused Defense Ministry director-general Amos Yaron of concealing the Israeli upgrade. This was the first Israeli-U.S. confrontation over China since Washington forced Israel to cancel the sale of a Falcon airborne early-warning alert system in 2001. At the time, Beijing had bought one Falcon for $250 million with an option for an additional three systems, sources reported. "The Pentagon eventually found out about the upgrade from a non-government source and when it asked questions from the Defense Ministry the answers were regarded as evasive," an Israeli source said. " Over the last few months, officials said, the Pentagon has demanded an apology from Israel as well as the dismissal of Yaron Top US officials, including former secretaries of state, military leaders and congressional members joined in a new campaign designed to conjure grassroots support among Americans nationwide to support US President George Bush's resolve for a two-state solution between Palestinians and Israelis. The campaign, called the Campaign for American Leadership in the Middle East (CALME), has drawn the support of Muslim, Arab and Jewish American organizations as well as the added backing of former Secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Lawrence Eagleburger, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Joseph Ralston and CEOs of companies including Intel and the CFO of Time Warner. In addition there is list of think tank presidents, including from the Brookings Institute, the Arab American Institute and the Middle East Institute who also support the program for a two-state solution. The resolution, which stays clear of asking Bush to take a particular stance on the details of peace negotiations between the two parties, only states for Americans to go online and sign a letter to the president asking him to remain committed, for the national security of the United States, to finding peace between Palestinians and Israelis through a two-state solution. Lee Hamilton, former chair of the US House International Relations Committee and leading member of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission set up by the president to investigate US intelligence matters, said in a press conference that the campaign was designed to show Bush that Americans realize what happens in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is directly linked to US interests in the region and US perception in the Arab-Muslim world. "There is no issue in the Middle East that polarizes people more than the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said Hamilton. Hamilton said that every issue in the region, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and security matters is tied to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. A spokesman for CALME said that funding for the web-based project has come from individuals and organizations of all political leanings and credited the unification of such a broad coalition on the fact that CALME does not go into details about how to achieve peace or final status issues. Another thing missing from the campaign is language that urges Bush to take and even-handed approach. The letter, which states, "It is only right that the United States use all the resources at its disposal to help Israelis and Palestinians overcome differences," mentions that "fairness and creativity" are part of the tools that should be used by the United States as a broker to achieve success. According to organizers and supporters of CALME, Bush, who is the first US president to officially support an independent Palestinian state, will need the support of the American people to sustain a long term US policy in the region that will lead to peace. Moreover, the idea of CALME, which hopes to garner nearly 200,000 signatures, is also to show members of congress that people from their districts are supporting a two-state solution in the conflict. Although there is much scepticism that the campaign is lacking the means and details of how both sides can achieve peace, Hamilton insisted that the momentum toward peace must begin somewhere. "Nobody can predict success," he said, "but what we agree on is there is a remarkable opportunity to solve this problem". Hamilton said he understands that Israel has strong support in Washington, but added that Bush has stood up to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon against an expansion of settlements in the West Bank and through CALME the president will know he has the support of the American people for two-states living side by side. Furthermore, Hamilton said the United States understands that there will be a "Palestinian state formed from Gaza and large parts of the West Bank, some kind of right of return for Palestinian refugees and that parts of Jerusalem will be segregated for Arabs". "We should strike now... the alternative is to give-up and we cannot give-up," said Hamilton, adding that there is a great skill in brining people together. In Ramallah Dr Ahmed Majdalani said the Palestinian government is in contact with the Quartet, the UN and other international areas. He condemned the Israeli policy of settlements and said the building of new 50 housing units in the west bank is a test to the American policy, which he described as a double standard policy. The Israeli Foreign Minister Shalom fired a warning shot across Sharon's bows by stating that Likud would not tolerate any further withdrawals without movement by the Palestinians. "There is no way that the Likud will allow any new withdrawal from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) which is part of our homeland," he told public radio. "It is impossible to conceive of other withdrawals without obtaining reciprocation from the Palestinians," he added. Brushing aside an explicit U.S. call to refrain from expanding Jewish settlements, Israel disclosed plans to build 50 new homes in the northern West Bank. Meanwhile the World Muslim 17th Conference strongly condemned the terrorist acts taking place in some Arab countries especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the conference was led by Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Al-Sheikh. The conference laid stress on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque for all Muslims and denounced repeated efforts to storm it. |
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