Leaders agree to Middle East ceasefire
Israel and the Palestinians agreed a ceasefire at a historic summit today where Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he hoped Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would lead his people to to an independent state.
Sharon said at the summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik that Israel will stop conducting military activities against Palestinians everywhere.
“Today, in my meeting with chairman Abbas, we agreed that all Palestinians will stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere, and, at the same time, Israel will cease all its military activity against all Palestinians everywhere,” Sharon said.
Abbas said: “We have agreed on halting all violent actions against Palestinians and Israelis wherever they are.”
The Palestinian leader said it is time for the Palestinian people to regain their freedom.
“A new opportunity for peace is born today in the city of peace let’s, pledge to protect it,” Abbas said, referring to the nickname of Sharm el-Sheik earned through past peace summits.
Sharon invited Abbas to his ranch in southern Israel, and the Palestinian leader accepted, a senior Israeli official said.
Foreign Ministry official, Gideon Meir did not say when the next Sharon-Abbas meeting would take place. Sharon owns Sycamore Ranch in southern Israel, near the Gaza Strip.
Meir, who attended the summit, said that “there was a great atmosphere in the talks … smiles and joking.”
He said everything went according to the carefully planned agenda, and no disagreements emerged.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who hosted the summit and has been a key mediator throughout the process, said both sides showed a serious desire to “work together truly and sincerely.”
“The challenges today are large and deep, but the mission is not impossible. If the road is long, we today took the first step,” Mubarak said.
“The Palestinian and Israeli peoples equally deserve a secure life for the coming generations to enjoy, based on justice, international principles and good neighbourliness,” the Egyptian president added in a speech he said he was delivering on behalf of himself and Jordan’s King Abdullah.
Mubarak also said there was now fresh hope for the Syrian-Lebanese peace track. Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations have been frozen since early 2000.
“Our goal is lasting peace in the Middle East, therefore, our movement will be followed by other moves to revive both the Syrian and Lebanese tracks,” he said.
Sharon said the year promised great opportunity for the Israelis and Palestinians to end their four years of violence and push toward peace.
He told Abbas: “I hope that you will succeed in leading your nation to democracy and law and order until the establishment a democratic and independent Palestinian state.”
Addressing the Palestinian people directly, Sharon said: ”I assure you that we have a genuine intention to respect your rights to live independently and in dignity.”
“I have already said that Israel has no desire to continue to govern over you and control your fate,” he said.
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