Al Khaldi: Peace conference success depends on Israeli goodwill gestures

Wednesday September 19, 2007 17:25 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News

Majdi Al Khaldi, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Wednesday that there is an Arab and Palestinian consensus that the success of the American peace conference scheduled for this November depends on making solid principles for the conference, and on the goodwill gestures by Israel.  These gestures include stopping the construction of the wall and settlements and lifting the road blocks that are restricting the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

US secretary of Stat Condoleezza Rice - File 2007

The statement of the Palestinian official came in response to reports that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is being pressured by his party, Fatah, not to attend the Peace conference unless he can guarantee a sure outcome and the participation of international Arabic states.

In an exclusive interview with IMEMC on Wednesday afternoon, Khaldi stated that the Palestinians demand their basic rights, and without the guarantee of basic human rights for the Palestinian people, the conference is doomed to failure.

He added that it is not only Abbas' decision as to whether he will attend the conference or not, as it is a Palestinian, Arab and international decision and not only one for the Palestinian President alone.

Commenting on the visit of US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday, to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, Al Khaldi said that Rice is assigned by the American president Bush to facilitate and moderate the Palestinian-Israeli meetings.

He expressed his hope that the U.S. efforts are sincere, but added that in order to be taken seriously by the Palestinian side, any U.S. proposal would need to include a clear timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian Territories.

The Palestinian official stated that the source of the problem is Israel, due to the failure of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to give real commitments during his meetings with the Palestinian Prisdent Mahmoud Abbas.

 Translated by Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC News Room

ramallah | palestinian politics | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org