 A summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been put off. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the meeting scheduled for 2 October would take place "only once the preparations... have been completed". Israel had cancelled a preparatory meeting for the summit, after rocket attacks by Palestinian militant groups. Israel has continued its air strikes on Gaza, despite Palestinian factions declaring they would observe a truce. | Darn those perfidious Jooos. Ruin a perfectly legitimate offensive attack with a defensive counterbattery. The nerve of some people... |
Mr Erekat said the meeting was postponed after Israel contacted the Palestinian side. "We don't want to meet just for the sake of meeting. We want a well-prepared meeting with an extensive agenda focusing on all the current issues," he said. It comes on the fifth anniversary of a visit by then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon to a disputed religious site in Jerusalem, which sparked a series of Palestinian riots. These riots and Palestinian frustration at the failure of the peace process triggered what became known as the al-Aqsa intifada. | It's the Beeb. They can't help themselves. |
|