The Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei said there will be no further talks on any topic as long as the Middle East Quartet keeps its unclear position on the West Bank separation wall.
‘We have made our position clear on all issues especially the settlement expansions, the Separation Wall that is destroying the peace process and the ongoing assassination policy which leaves no chance for cease-fire’ said Qurei after his meeting with the Quartet representatives in his office in Ramallah Wednesday afternoon.
He added, ‘we have discussed ways of implementing the road map and the possible Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.’
Qurei reiterated the Palestinian Authority’s readiness to assume control over any area the Israeli army pulls out of; however, this should not be on the expense of the Palestinians’ legitimate historic rights approved by the International Legitimacy, hinting that the Israeli withdrawal should include all the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the internationally recognized borders of 1967.
Qurei had some conservation at the Quartet comments regarding the Gaza pullout as a unique historic chance that should not be wasted, confirming that the PA does not oppose this opinion; yet, he cautioned that the Israeli plan carries lots of risks on the Palestinians if Israel went on with its settlement expansion plans and the construction of the wall.
The Palestinian premier reiterated the Palestinian rejection of forming a self-ruling administration for the Gaza Strip after an Israeli withdrawal.
‘We will not accept by any chance the talks about separate administration for Gaza and another for Jenin or for Jericho; we are talking about one homeland and one authority here in Palestine’ Qurei affirmed.
On the other hand, the Prime Minister described his meeting with Satterfield that followed his meeting with the Quartet, as positive.
‘What we heard from the U.S. Secretary of State’s deputy assistant reflects positive intentions that we hope are serious’ said Qurei and demanded that the U.S should play a more constructive role.
Apparently, the Quartet’s position has become similar to the American and the Israelis positions.
A diplomatic source said the Quartet asked the PA risks of losing the International diplomatic and the financial support if no security reforms are made.
‘The International community is fed up with the unfulfilled promises of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to hold security reforms,’ the source said, and added, ‘There will be no diplomatic or financial support if these promises are not kept.’
Arafat has accepted the Egyptian proposal to merge all the security devices into three only however referred the delay to the current security situation in the Palestinian areas especially the ongoing assassinations policy and the settlement expansions and the wall that lowers the ability of the Palestinian authority to carry out and security reforms fearing that things will be uncontrollable. Palestinians asked for a cease-fire to able to carry out reforms.
