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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Rice Cements Deal on Gaza Borders |
| 2005-11-15 |
| After marathon all-night negotiations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tuesday announced a comprehensive agreement between Israel and the Palestinians designed to open up the Gaza strip to Israel and the outside world. The deal set terms for freedom of movement on three borders: traffic across the Rafah border into Egypt, Gaza's main link with the outside world; commercial trucks at the Karni crossing into Israel; and bus convoys between Gaza and the West Bank, the separated parts of the Palestinian Authority. Just as important long-term, the deal allows the Palestinians to begin work on Gaza's airport and seaport, Rice said. The deal is the most significant movement in the peace process since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza two months ago and the first broad agreement between the two sides in nine months, since talks at Sharm-el Sheikh, Egypt. For the first time since 1967, the Palestinians will gain access of the borders in the areas where they live, Rice said at an unusual press conference with international envoy James Wolfensohn and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana just for the press traveling with Rice, but no local journalists. The target date for the opening of Rafah is Nov. 25. "The important thing here is that people have understood that there is an important balance between security on the one hand and on the other hand allowing the Palestinian people freedom of movement. The other important point is that everybody recognizes that if the Palestinians can move more freely and export their agriculture, that Gaza will be a much better place, where the institutions of democracy can begin to take hold," Rice said. In an important boost for the stagnant economy in Gaza, where up to 70% of the labor force is unemployed, the Israelis will permit the export of all agricultural produces from the current harvest -- instead of rotting in warehouses. The number of trucks that will pass through the Karni crossing to Israel will reach 150 by year's end and 400 by the end of next year. Bus convoys to move people between the West Bank and Gaza will begin by Dec. 15 and truck traffic by Jan. 15. Both Israeli and Palestinian officials were upbeat after a long night of intense negotiations. "It's a document designed to organize the whole issue of the flow of people and goods in and out of Gaza. It's more ambitious than a lot of us thought at the beginning. Everyone wants to have a deal in the run up to both elections," said a senior Israeli foreign ministry official. Later, he said a broader agreement was made possible when talks changed from a deal on Rafah to a comprehensive agreement on all crossing, which allowed for creative solutions." The Palestinians are scheduled to hold elections Jan. 25, while the Israeli government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is under pressure from the new Labor Party leadership to hold early elections, which now appear likely. Without a deal now, the diplomatic effort could get deferred for many months -- and potentially even become an election issue that would particularly help the Islamist movement Hamas. The deal involves major compromises on both sides. "No one is happy with the deal but we have to do it," said Mohammed Dahlan, civil affairs minister. The agreement is a major personal triumph for Rice, who has been dogged in not letting the long-illusive deal slip through her fingers during the last stop of her six-nation Middle East tour. "It was not a one woman show, but clearly nothing would have happened without her amazing combination of steel, charm and energy," said a senior U.S. official who was in the midst of the negotiations. An agreement could have particular impact on the stagnant Palestinian economy and on security for the Israelis, who in the negotiations are pressing for security measures to prevent extremists and weapons from moving in and out of Gaza. An agreement would also help calm the generally tense atmosphere between the sides since Israel's withdrawal, U.S., Israeli and Palestinian, officials say. The Bush administration is particularly eager to win agreement now to generate new momentum and prevent a further delay in the peace process, given increasing political turmoil in Israel that threatens to force Sharon's government into early elections and possibly further divert attention from talks with the Palestinians. |
| Posted by:Ebburt Hupavique6554 |
| #2 The EU will have "observers." WTF that may mean is not really stated.. It probably means that the EU personnel aren't going to do diddly squat regardless of what they "see". However, one suicide/murder bomb attack by a Paleo individual or the discovery of a commercial truck carrying weaponry or explosives should scuttle this little arrangement pretty quick. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-11-15 22:59 |
| #1 Israel gave up it's right to close the crossing, It will only be able to monitor the crossing remotely. The EU will have "observers." WTF that may mean is not really stated. I assume Israel will blow stuff up if should the Paleos do "bad things" |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-11-15 18:17 |