Sharon-Abbas 'summit' rasies hopes for peace
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and incoming Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas have talked about a future meeting, signalling an end to the diplomatic freeze and possible new peace talks.
In a phone call yesterday, Sharon congratulated Abbas for his landslide victory in the election to replace the late Yasser Arafat.
Abbas’ victory on Sunday and Sharon’s success in fielding a new government with a majority behind his plan to pull out of Gaza and part of the West Bank spurred optimism that Israelis and Palestinians can break through layers of mistrust built up over four years of violence.
But despite the optimism, both sides faced internal problems. Palestinian national security adviser Jibril Rajoub resigned yesterday and critics in Sharon’s own Likud Party complained that his new government could not survive without support from doves and Arab parties – their bitter rivals.
A statement from Sharon’s office after the phone call said he and Abbas “agreed they would continue talking in the near future”.
Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia said plans for a Sharon-Abbas meeting were still in an early stage. “When the right time comes, we will go for a well-prepared meeting. We will not go just for a meeting, but for a useful one,” he said.
Sharon and Abbas last met in August 2003, during Abbas’ brief term as Arafat’s prime minister.
Abbas resigned shortly afterwards, blaming Arafat for refusing to hand over authority and Israel for failing to accept his demands to ease restrictions and release Palestinian prisoners.
Israel refused to negotiate with Arafat, accusing him of encouraging attacks against Israelis. The last meeting Arafat had with an Israeli prime minister was in 2000.
In Washington, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Abbas failed as prime minister because Arafat “was in the way”.
Powell told Fox News if Abbas fought those who support violence, “the United States will be able to support him”.
Israel’s first demand of the new Palestinian leadership is to make an effort to stop the violence.
Abbas, widely considered more moderate than Arafat, has spoken out against violence, calling attacks against Israel a mistake. However, he has refused to order a crackdown on the violent groups, preferring to negotiate a ceasefire instead.
