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Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai. (Uriah Tadmor / BauBau)
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Last update - 22:20 13/10/2007
Yishai: Peace summit should only deal with economic issues
By News agencies

Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai said Saturday that an upcoming peace summit should be limited to economic issues only, and that Israel and the Palestinians should take a respite of a few years from political talks.

Yishai, also Shas Party chairman, was responding to lead Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia's demand earlier on Saturday for Israel and the Palestinians to come up with a detailed agreement on the most divisive issues between them ahead of the peace conference to be held in Annapolis, Maryland.

The minister said: "If Israel already has to take part in the Annapolis conference, it is better to change it to an economic conference."
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According to Yishai, Palestinian spokesmen are warning of dire consequences should the summit fail to produce results.

The minister added that, "President Mubarak told me that as well." Yishai was referring to his meeting in Egypt last week with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Second Intifada broke out after the failed peace talks at Camp David in the summer of 2000 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Yishai added that if Israel and the Palestinians "take a respite from political issues, and devote the conference to American-European-Saudi rehabilitation of the Palestinian Authority - with an emphasis on employment - we will be able to hold political negotiations in a few years time."

Yishai also said: "Currently we are speaking to [only] a third of the Palestinians."

Qureia said earlier on Saturday that negotiating teams that began work last week have not forged a written agreement on any of these issues - final borders, the status of disputed Jerusalem and a solution for Palestinians who lost their homes during the war that followed Israel's 1948 creation.

"The document that is to be presented at the conference should be a detailed, clearcut document on the final status issues," Qureia said after meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch.

"If the conference fails to create clear foundations for peacemaking, the outcome will not be good," he added.

Palestinian negotiator made similar comments on Thursday, saying U.S. President George W. Bush should not convene the conference if Israel and the Palestinians have not achieved an agreement in advance.

Iran calls on Muslim states to boycott Mideast peace conference
Iran's top cleric urged Muslim countries on Saturday to boycott a U.S.-sponsored international peace conference on Palestinian statehood next month.

Opposition to Israel is one of the cornerstones of belief of Shi'ite Iran, which backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamic militant groups opposed to peace with Jerusalem.

"When Palestinians consider this conference as deceitful and refuse to participate, how can Muslim countries take part in that?" Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a sermon broadcast live on state media.

"Other (Muslim) countries also should consider it a deceitful conference."

On Friday, Hamas' top leaders in Gaza and Syria warned Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas against falling into "the trap" of an upcoming peace conference with Israel.

Deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, based in Gaza, and Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal, based in Syria, also urged Abbas to mend his rift with their Islamic militant faction.

The Hamas leaders made the remarks to supporters on the occasion of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Haniyeh, who was dismissed from office after Hamas overran Gaza in June, criticized Abbas for planning to attend next month's U.S.-sponsored international peace conference, meant to provide support for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. He cautioned the PA chairman "not to give this occupier legitimacy on our land."

"Don't fall into the trap of the coming conference. Don't make new compromises on Jerusalem, on our sovereignty," Haniyeh urged.

Khaled Meshal echoed the warning in a holiday message on Hamas radio. And he urged Abbas, who set up his own government in the West Bank after Hamas' Gaza takeover, to accept the Islamists' invitations for dialogue.

"Abbas and his allies will find out that they are pursuing nothing but a mirage," Meshal said, referring to the conference.

"They will find out that there can be no solution without dialogue," Meshal added, accusing Israel and the U.S. of taking advantage of the Palestinian rift to try to wrest concessions from Palestinian peace negotiators.

The conference is tentatively set for Annapolis, Maryland, at the end of November, and Israel and the Palestinians hope to present the contours of a final peace accord there.
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  1.   Drop Dead Haniyeh and Meshal 19:14  |  GZLives 12/10/07
  2.   sorry we staged a coup - let`s mend this silly rift ! 19:34  |  redmike 12/10/07
  3.   TO SILVIENNE On reason and accountability 19:42  |  Fortuna Benmayor 12/10/07
  4.   What peace means 19:46  |  Brod 12/10/07
  5.   Meshaal is sweating 19:58  |  Fortuna Benmayor 12/10/07
  6.   Destroy Hamas 20:00  |  George Kaplan 12/10/07
  7.   Abbas Needs Hamas 20:14  |  Bryan 12/10/07
  8.   Haniyeh Never Missed A Meal 20:20  |  Yosemite 12/10/07
  9.   HAMAS AND THE FUTURE 20:41  |  Brant 12/10/07
  10.   Bryan #3 20:52  |  S 12/10/07
  11.   Ita a trap 21:04  |  Edifice 12/10/07
  12.   #2 George 21:07  |  North American 12/10/07
  13.   Hamas are a bunch of murderer... 21:08  |  Natallie Durson 12/10/07
  14.   Wasted Energy 21:12  |  juniper 12/10/07
  15.   Agreements 21:19  |  Neil 12/10/07
  16.   Ismail Haniyeh should be locked up not be giving advice 21:39  |  Kipperraes 12/10/07
  17.   #1 May They Rest In Peace - Soon! 21:45  |  Bill Foonman 12/10/07
  18.   The peace trap to be avoided 21:46  |  Avi 12/10/07
  19.   Both Haniyeh& Mishal are right,after all it was the same abbas 21:47  |  lakshmi 12/10/07
  20.   So We`re Friends again ............. 21:54  |  Dagma 12/10/07
  21.   Betting three-to-one odds 21:58  |  Existential 12/10/07
  22.   They Quit the Game and Now They Cry 22:03  |  dyinglikeflies 12/10/07
  23.   Hamas - slowly but surely making themselves irrelevant 22:08  |  Israeli 12/10/07
  24.   Pelosi analogy flawed 22:16  |  david 12/10/07
  25.   dyinglikeflies 22:43  |  O 12/10/07
  26.   dyinglikeflies 22:53  |  Otto Rand 12/10/07
  27.   #24 David 22:58  |  Bryan 12/10/07
  28.   talks...talks...talks...the big trap 23:18  |  real vision 12/10/07
  29.   Peace is the tender trap 23:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/10/07
  30.   Can`t You Take A Joke? 23:27  |  Tony Anthony 12/10/07
  31.   Without Hamas defeated we are wasting our time 00:20  |  Robert F. 13/10/07
  32.   Hamas` leaders in Gaza and Syria 00:22  |  Lisen 13/10/07
  33.   Iakshmi # 19 Squawk (part 1) 01:15  |  Jeff Northridge 13/10/07
  34.   Iakshmi # 19 Squawk (part 2) 01:57  |  Jeff Northridge 13/10/07
  35.   NO DEAL WITHOUT HAMAS 02:38  |  JH 13/10/07
  36.   #31 Robert F 02:59  |  Bryan 13/10/07
  37.   trap 03:19  |  Shmuelshachor 13/10/07
  38.   O. Rand- "Hateful ranting?" 03:23  |  dyinglikeflies 13/10/07
  39.   palestinian choice: nationalism or islamicism 03:23  |  Voice of Reason 13/10/07
  40.   Truth 03:37  |  Al 13/10/07
  41.   31Robert F.,it`s called wishful thinking! 03:47  |  lakshmi 13/10/07
  42.   HAMAS knows what FATAH denies 03:54  |  VIPER 13/10/07
  43.   JH # 35 No Deal With Hamas 04:04  |  Jeff Northridge 13/10/07
  44.   Al 04:05  |  Edifice 13/10/07
  45.   Isolate hamas 05:07  |  real vision 13/10/07
  46.   Pals should give up land 05:50  |  David 13/10/07
  47.   #44 Edifice 06:50  |  Bryan 13/10/07
  48.   Haniyeh, Meshal urge Abbas not to fall into `trap` of peace summi 07:20  |  Carl 13/10/07
  49.   #13 FAKE NATALLIE DURSON ALERT!! 07:28  |  Natallie Durson 13/10/07
  50.   #26, Otto Rand, tigers never turn into pussycats 07:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/07
  51.   he is right! real issue is acceptance of israel in region rest is 07:44  |  ralph 13/10/07
  52.   #39, Voice of Reason 07:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/07
  53.   terrorist, totalitarian Hamas 07:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/07
  54.   Iran, mind your own business 10:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/10/07
  55.   Evidence that Jihadists don`t want peace 10:18  |  Daniel Leopold 13/10/07
  56.   Natalie Durson-# 13-Is this real you? 10:19  |  Daniel Leopold 13/10/07
  57.   lakshmi -#19 you`re a liar 10:23  |  Daniel Leopold 13/10/07
  58.   The `Conference` over before it has even begun 10:33  |  Dagma 13/10/07
  59.   Annapolis is opportunity.... 10:39  |  Esther 13/10/07
  60.   For Otto #26 10:58  |  Esther 13/10/07
  61.   UNTILE ANNAPOLIS,,,,? 11:25  |  Dagma 13/10/07
  62.   Margie # 29 11:30  |  Guido 13/10/07
  63.   Gaza and "WB" parted ways for good. 11:31  |  17 13/10/07
  64.   Fake Clickfool and Durson. 12:31  |  David Nigel Braham 13/10/07
  65.   false peace 12:47  |  adnan 13/10/07
  66.   George Kaplan and destruction 12:53  |  Truths 13/10/07
  67.   Iran`s intrusion in the dark cauldron 12:55  |  Brod 13/10/07
  68.   BOYCOTT! 12:58  |  Dolly 13/10/07
  69.   for natalia at #49 13:17  |  scanadu 13/10/07
  70.   loosing time 13:21  |  scanadu 13/10/07
  71.   Isolate Fascist Iran 13:32  |  David 13/10/07
  72.   iran 13:35  |  zichron 13/10/07
  73.   The Supreme Satan with the Big Satan chasing the Little Satan 13:35  |  Hard Talk 13/10/07
  74.   Mmmm? What? Calls On Muslims? 13:52  |  Yosemite 13/10/07
  75.   To adnan # 65/ 13:56  |  Dolly 13/10/07
  76.   Meshal is absolutely right 14:29  |  The Arab Hammer 13/10/07
  77.   Miouse or Mouse? 14:31  |  Clickfool 13/10/07
  78.   David Nigel Braham - short of something to say # 64 14:38  |  Clickfool 13/10/07
  79.   Useless Peace Conference 14:42  |  utagawa 13/10/07
  80.   Finally the Moslems and Israelis agree with one thing !