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Israel-Palestine
Israel rules out joining Blair's proposed Middle East conference
2004-12-21
LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan for a Middle East conference was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, reversing last week's positive statements from his government about attending. In a meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda on Monday, Sharon said: "We will not participate, but we understand the importance (of the conference).
"Nope, nope, ain't gonna happen, nope."
"We do not consider this event to be a political conference, and that is what we were told. There is an important opportunity here to solve economic problems and the issue of reform. Regarding issues of security, discussions will be only with Israel," Sharon said. Sharon ruled out Israeli participation in any multinational conference that touched on the nation's security. Palestinians have been pressing for a broader conference to revive stalled peace moves, but Britain says it wants to focus on building up Palestinian institutional and security capabilities in anticipation of an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. "This meeting (the proposed conference) is about Palestine and practical reforms within Palestine," Blair's official spokesman said Monday.
Let's not get all plural and everything, I'll settle for a reform.
"This has never been conceived of as a major peace conference," said a Foreign Office spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity. Blair has said that reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is a foreign policy priority. Diplomatic moves have intensified following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who was shunned by Israel and the United States. Israeli officials have said they expected Blair to visit this week and also meet with Palestinian officials. Blair's office refused to comment on any travel plans. Palestinian officials want to take up final status issues like Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders - topics that have snagged previous negotiations. "We want to focus on reviving the peace process and resuming permanent status negotiations," Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said Monday. He called Sharon's decision "very unfortunate."
"We won't be able to squeeze and embarrass him with the help of our French friends," he added.
US President George W. Bush on Monday repeated his belief that the crucial next step in the Middle East is to build a democratic state in Palestine. "And I appreciate the fact that Prime Minister Tony Blair is willing to help that process by holding a conference with Palestinians that will help develop the state," Bush told a news conference in Washington. The British proposal for a conference has been vague about an agenda and a date. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said a conference is possible and would concentrate on practical arrangements for the aftermath of an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, set for next summer. To assist in building up Palestinian security forces, Britain announced Monday that it was giving 450,000 pounds' (Ð660,000; US$875,000) worth of bomb detection and disposal equipment to the Palestinian Authority.
'cause the Paleos are worried about Jooos exploding on them, ya know.
The equipment "will allow the collection of Palestinian munitions and explosive ordnance devices thus indicating the serious intent of the Palestinian Police to take these items out of circulation in compliance with the (Middle East peace) road map," the Ministry of Defense said.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  Ball's in the Palestinians' court. Bush has it exactly right. Real democracy and a recognition of two-state solution, and we can discuss the details of that solution with a partner that can and will deliver on its promises. No real democracy and no recognition, then no agreement will have any meaning at all.
Posted by: lex   2004-12-21 2:30:16 PM  

#11  EoZ,

What makes anyone think that, once Albania is infilterated extremists, the Islamic terrorists won't use Albania as a base and spread/emigrate to neighboring countries such as Greece?

Aris,

You are a hopeless case suspended in Bizzaro world. Why don't you just recommend to your blind government to allow every Muslim seeking political asylum to enter your country without inspection? Then we will see how much freedom you will have to mock other religions, as you like to do so much. People like you won't realize the danger until your hanging like skinned goat in an Afgan butcher shop.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-21 2:22:55 PM  

#10  PR,
I dont know about greece, though I have heard
that Albania has been infiltrated by a lot of Islamic extremist terrorists and has a clandestine
infrastructure that may cause a lot of headaches
in Europe in the future.

LiberalHawk,
your #3 post is a good 'right on the spot' analysis of why Sharon is not very enthusiastic about Blair's suggestions.
Posted by: EoZ   2004-12-21 2:07:33 PM  

#9  If a huge influx of Albanians is enough to make a country a "lost case", just *imagine* how much of a lost case Albania itself must be! :-)

LOL! Ponzi scheme Heaven. See! We can agree!
Posted by: Shipman   2004-12-21 11:53:59 AM  

#8  and yet Albania has supported us in the Iraqi war.

as for saying another thing in arabic, IIUC there has been a reduction (end?) to incitement by PA organs, and this has been acknowledged by Sharon. If Abbas is saying different things in Arabic, does anyone have some recent Memri clips to that effect?

Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-21 11:00:12 AM  

#7  Greece have been receiving a HUGE influx of Muslims from Albania and other neighboring countries.

If a huge influx of Albanians is enough to make a country a "lost case", just *imagine* how much of a lost case Albania itself must be! :-)
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2004-12-21 10:41:46 AM  

#6  EoZ,

"As for France, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, I am afraid they are by now a lost case"

Don't forget to put Greece in the "lost case" column. Greece have been receiving a HUGE influx of Muslims from Albania and other neighboring countries.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-21 10:30:15 AM  

#5  Cheri Blair was unreachable for comment
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-21 9:56:16 AM  

#4  This conference is about as useful as GW meeting with the DNCNAACP.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-21 9:39:13 AM  

#3  The British proposal for a conference has been vague about an agenda and a date

Thats the key. The Israelis are willing to go multilateral to discuss short terms issues - keeping the PA financed, getting through the PA election, and reducing terror - and medium term issues - dealing with the disengagement from Gaza - what they object to is a conference discussing the larger end of conflict issues, esp now, when Abbas is not yet in firm control of the PA, when hes still mouthing maximalist demands, when the Gaza withdrawl hasnt happened yet - in those circumstances, to go to conf with euros who are NOT sympathetic to Israel's negotiating position would be against their interests, and probably not serve peace - its a formula to try to impose a solution (might help Tony at home, but wouldnt do much else positive)


Now IF the Brits will LIMIT the agenda, then the Israelis have something to talk to them about.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-21 9:32:14 AM  

#2  No conferences, no negotiations, no nothing
until the fucked up Pali's publicly and practically denounce, jail and break up all the political and military organization that attack us.
Otherwise, we return to the Arafish method of saying one thing in English to the western press, while at the same time saying the opposite thing to his terror brigades and the Arab states.
Gererally speaking, Muslims cant be trusted, because their holy book prescribes lying, false truces and Hudna's as a means for the final goal of world dominance.
As we already have factual and undisputed proof that they are using the Kuran methods of duplicity, it is our duty to make sure they cant use it on us at their convenience.
The moment of truth has finally arrived for the Palestinians particularely and for Islam in general.
Show us first that you can be trusted and that there is a vast majority of moderate muslims who are willing to take action against extremists among themselves. If you can't, we are sorry but you will have to pay for the actions of your extremist brothers.
This is indeed a war of survival for Israel and the rest of western civilization, and I am afraid that Europe is very soon going down the drain because of their blindness and denial of the truth.
What britain really needs now is not LLL tactics of denial and political machinations and scheming,
the Brits really need another Churchil is they dont want to sink further in the self inflicted Islamic mud.
As for France, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, I am afraid they are by now a lost case, and their unintegrated moslem masses cannot any more be dealt with by benevolent means. They will probably need a miracle or a blood bath to survive.
I am truely sorry for them but this is the price you pay for blindness and hypocricy.
To sum it up, if we do not stubbornly insist on seeing the Proof in the Pudding, the Pali's will slowly nibble at us and keep on their duplicitous
lies and promises.

Sorry Blair no summit until the Pali's deliver !
Posted by: Elder of Zion   2004-12-21 2:24:28 AM  

#1  Why submit, in any way, to the perceived authority of some conference where the vast majority will show up just to pontificate, parade false moral superiority, and publicy castigate / bitch-slap you?

Right call. Build the Fence. Faster.
Posted by: .com   2004-12-21 12:55:13 AM  

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