Tension builds ahead of Middle East summit
Israeli and US leaders have agreed ahead of a three-way meeting with the Palestinians not to deal with a new Palestinian government that does not denounce violence, recognise Israel and accept peace agreements, an Israeli official said today.
In a further indication of tensions ahead of the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in Israel for the Middle East summit, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled a press conference that had been scheduled to follow a meeting later today, Abbas' office said.
Rice and Abbas are to meet tomorrow with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The trilateral summit was initially called to try to revive peace talks.
However, it is now being overshadowed by Abbas' attempts to finalise a power-sharing agreement with the Islamic militant Hamas.
Olmert and US President George Bush agreed in a telephone conversation on Friday that their governments will not work with the Palestinian government if it does not moderate its policies towards Israel, the Israeli government official said.
Israeli foreign minister Tzip Livni said last week's power-sharing agreement between moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamic militant group Hamas does "not meet the requirements" of the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the US, the EU, the UN and Russia.
"I think that also the moderates on the Palestinian side need to understand that the path toward a Palestinian state goes through the renunciation of violence and terrorism and not by compromising with terror," Livni said in an apparent reference to Abbas.
The platform of an emerging Hamas-Fatah coalition only contains a promise to "respect" previous peace agreements, at best implying recognition of Israel.
Abbas earlier yesterday told a US envoy, David Welch, that this was the best possible deal he could reach with Hamas, and that the world would have to live with it, according to Abbas aides.
Rice reiterated that she would not judge the new Palestinian government until it has been established, but acknowledged that the coalition talks are overshadowing tomorrow's summit.
Abbas aides have said they were warned by US officials that a government with the platform as is would be shunned by Washington.
"We are between the announcement of the intention to form a government and the actual formation of that government," Rice said, noting that the Quartet has reaffirmed its principles.
"I have said if there was a perfect time to come to the Middle East, you wouldn't get on a plane, and so despite the complications it's an important time to have these discussions ... about the principles of two states for two peoples," she said.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat noted that Abbas, not the Palestinian government, would lead negotiations with Israel. In asking Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas to form a new government earlier this week, Abbas reiterated his commitment to all agreements signed with Israel, including the pact of mutual recognition, Erekat said.
"Since the negotiations ... are under the jurisdiction of the president and the PLO, it should be noted that the president reiterated the commitment to these principles," he said.
