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Palestinian PM Salam Fayad. (AP Archives)
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Fayad wants Israel to free 2,000 prisoners ahead of peace summit
By The Associated Press
tags: Salam Fayad, Palestinians 

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad on Saturday urged Israel to agree to a deadline for peace talks and make bold moves ahead of a U.S.-hosted Middle East conference, including the release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Israel has rejected demands for a timetable, and U.S. officials have also been cool to the idea, but Fayad told The Associated Press in an interview that a deadline is essential for restoring credibility to more than a decade of failed peace efforts.

Fayad, who was installed as prime minister after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza in June, said Israel needs to do more now to try to restore the Palestinians' trust in peace efforts and begin easing restrictions, such as removing major army roadblocks.
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"I think we need to really begin to see some bold moves in the direction of dealing with those issues of the here and now, for the people to buy into the process," he said. "We need to rekindle signs of hope after years of deterioration."

Fayad said Palestinian negotiators have asked Israel to release some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners ahead of the Mideast conference, to be held in coming weeks in Annapolis, Maryland. "We feel this is one area where a lot more can be done than has been done so far," he said.

Israel has released Fatah prisoners in a bid to boost Abbas following the Hamas' seizure of Gaza, but on a much smaller scale, with the largest involving some 250 prisoners.

While Israel has often chosen to release Palestinian prisoners in the past as a confidence building measure, the issue has had an added element of controversy in Israel given that abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is still being held in Gaza.

Another key Palestinian demand is to set a deadline for a peace deal, something Israel has rejected.

Fayad said that after more than a decade of failed peace efforts, the Palestinians need strong assurances.

"We cannot expect to go to Annapolis and be told by the international community that these are good principles, 'now go back to your respective countries and mull these issues over, negotiate them, when you are done, let us know'," he said. "Something like this, I am sure, is not really going to be seen as sufficiently credible. Some reference to that is essential, when it comes to ending [concluding] negotiations."

Fayad said Israeli and Palestinian negotiators covered a lot of ground in previous peace talks which collapsed in 2001, and that there's an emerging international consensus on the contours of a peace deal.

Therefore, if the Annapolis conference re-launches negotiations, a peace deal could reasonably be reached within several months, he said. Even with all sides presumably acting in good faith, he said, conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate in a manner that makes the possibility and prospect for the emergence of a meaningful Palestinian state more and more distant.

"Settlement activity continues, land confiscation continues, illegal (settlement) outposts continue to be erected, rather than removed, and these are the types of issues we need to concern ourselves with," he said. "For all of these reasons, I believe, it should be eminently possible to agree on a time dimension, he added. I think it's necessary."

Israel has balked at the idea, and U.S. officials have not commented publicly, but appear to cool to imposing deadlines.

"Israel is committed to reaching peace with the Palestinians and we want to achieve this in the most expedient way possible based on two states for two peoples, David Baker," an Israeli government spokesman, said Saturday.

Asked about a possible release of prisoners and removal of checkpoints, Baker said the issues were being reviewed. "Israel is aware of the importance attached to them by the Palestinians," he said.

The Palestinian prime minister said he is making headway on his plan to wrest control of the West Bank's streets from Palestinian militants. On Friday, 300 Palestinian police were deployed in the West Bank's most chaotic city, Nablus, as part of his gradual approach to restoring control.

Asked about recent threats by Hamas in Gaza that the Islamic militant group would one day seize control of the West Bank, Fayad said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' security forces in the West Bank are gradually performing better.

"With each passing day, our confidence rises," said Fayad.

"I don't spend too much time thinking about or listening to statements made here or there," Fayad said.

"Our goal is clear, and including of course in the runup to achieving our national objectives, ensuring that what happened in Gaza would not happen in the West Bank," he said. "That's what I preoccupy myself with."

PA to ask donor states for $120 million per month
The PA will ask donor countries for budget support of up to $120 million a month, for two to three months, until pledges for a 2008-2010 development plan start coming in, the Palestinian prime minister said Saturday.

Donor countries are to meet in Paris in December to decide on the level of support for the PA in coming years.

Fayad, a former finance minister and senior official in the International Monetary Fund, told The Associated Press he expects strong financial support for his government.

With a moderate government in place in the West Bank, Israel resumed the transfer of tens of millions of dollars a month in tax rebates to the PA. These funds were key in helping Fayad meet the government payroll for 175,000 employees.

Fayad said Israel will have paid all of the withheld funds by December, and that the Palestinian Authority would ask donor countries to contribute about $120 million a month, for two to three months, to the Palestinian budget.

"All indications show that the Paris conference will be a success, in terms of support our development plan for the years 2008-2010, and we will need to cover [our expenses] for two to three months until this plan starts producing," he said. "There are good signs from the donors that this period will be covered."

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      1.   fayad you must keep agreements which you don`t until then say not 17:12  |  ralph 03/11/07
      2.   Can`t Do It 17:17  |  Ron 03/11/07
      3.   Israeli God Will?? 17:38  |  Ira G. 03/11/07
      4.   Better release the prisoners AFTER the summit 17:43  |  Tosefta 03/11/07
      5.   Fayad, where is a single bold Palestinian move?! 17:43  |  McQueen 03/11/07
      6.   You mean the summit you`ve said you`re not coming to?! 17:45  |  McQueen 03/11/07
      7.   How can peace become a real prospect 17:46  |  Dan Chazan 03/11/07
      8.   The nerve of this man! 17:50  |  Avi 03/11/07
      9.   How can peace become a real prospect (2) 17:52  |  Dan Chazan 03/11/07
      10.   DONT SAY I TOLD U SO!!! 18:00  |  MATILDA 03/11/07
      11.   Here`s one for you Fayad 18:01  |  Steve 03/11/07
      12.   We need a deadline for release of Gilad Shalit 18:35  |  Izzy 03/11/07
      13.   Nr 9 The history Mohamedans never respect peace 18:43  |  cristo 03/11/07
      14.   Israel should rather lock up more terrorists 18:46  |  Jonathan S 03/11/07
      15.   Fayad urges release of 2000 prisoners 18:49  |  Alex Lovinger 03/11/07
      16.   Releasing prisoners w/o getting anything in return is eroding 18:52  |  mea 03/11/07
      17.   Chutzpah 18:53  |  Avrum 03/11/07
      18.   The 2,000 that Fayad wants are not jailed, they are prisoners who 19:00  |  Dubi 03/11/07
      19.   PLO/PA Int`lly Subsisded Terrorists Beggars feeding Int`l Antisem 19:03  |  Joseph E . 03/11/07
      20.   wants 19:08  |  colin 03/11/07
      21.   Fayad 19:22  |  Eytan Leibovitz 03/11/07
      22.   Rice`s unwillingness to examine the results of her Road Map 19:27  |  Joseph E . 03/11/07
      23.   Asking for the sun 19:37  |  Nora 03/11/07
      24.   Another Prisoner Release for NOTHING! 19:39  |  JonR 03/11/07
      25.   The guy is out of his f---ing mind. 19:56  |  M. Franks-Lhermann 03/11/07
      26.   To Eitan Leiboviz: Why Palestinians do not fight terror 19:57  |  Dan Chazan 03/11/07
      27.   The real senario... 19:59  |  Dory 03/11/07
      28.   O how low have the mighty fallen! fayyad cravenly begging for 20:24  |  lakshmi 03/11/07
      29.   ISRAEL WANTS ITS MILITARY BACK 20:35  |  TOBIA 03/11/07
      30.   Gilad released first before any talks of any kind. 20:52  |  Avraham 03/11/07
      31.   Peres Can`t Wait to Sign the Clemency Papers 21:07  |  Joseph E . 03/11/07
      32.   Fayad wanting prisoner release 22:00  |  Robert Nagy 03/11/07
      33.   yes release them on the moon 22:35  |  victor hardman 03/11/07
      34.   scratch Abbas, you`ll smell Hamas. FIGHT TERROR NO STUPID GIFTS 22:40  |  Pavel 03/11/07
      35.   Prisoner release should be PART of negotiations, not CONDITION... 22:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/11/07
      36.   Voice of Moshiach- maybe this poster is right 22:51  |  Avrum 03/11/07
      37.   GET REAL!!!!!!!!!!!! 23:02  |  FRANK 03/11/07
      38.   #10, MATILDA, you are absolutely right 23:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/11/07
      39.   To Dan Chazan 23:29  |  Eytan Leibovitz 03/11/07
      40.   Fayad must be delusional, Where`s Shalit 23:48  |  Shepherd 03/11/07
      41.   Freeing Prisoners of War is Traditional 00:24  |  Jane 04/11/07
      42.   Are these guys for real??? 00:43  |  Nemesis 04/11/07
      43.   To Eitan Leiboviz: Why Palestinians do not fight terror 01:13  |  Dan Chazan 04/11/07
      44.   Fayad is an American Palestinian with dual citizenship 01:34  |  Mrs Pudding 04/11/07
      45.   And what do you have to offer Mr. Fayad? 01:53  |  Murray of Montreal 04/11/07
      46.   Eytan Leibovitz # 21 Jewish and Palestinian freedom fighters 03:00  |  American in NY 04/11/07
      47.   re: Jane 03:01  |  Efox 04/11/07
      48.   Prooaganda 03:21  |  Gypsy John 04/11/07
      49.   re: Mrs Pudding 03:22  |  Efox 04/11/07
      50.   To Dan Chazan 03:39  |  Eytan Leibovitz 04/11/07
      51.   Of course he wants that! 04:01  |  Denton 04/11/07
      52.   Palestinian Gall 04:02  |  R 04/11/07
      53.   #46 American Nazi in NY 05:54  |  * BEN JABO 04/11/07
      54.   JOHNNY ONE NOTE - GIMMEE, GIMMEE, GIMMEE 06:49  |  * BEN JABO 04/11/07
      55.   NO REASON TO RELEASE CRIMINAL TERRORISTS 06:57  |  B.Heddem 04/11/07
      56.   Insane, nuts or just plain stupid 14:59  |  Jack 04/11/07
      57.   Fayad and 2000 prisoners 16:02  |  Brod 04/11/07
      58.   Its a ruse 19:21  |  Not naive 04/11/07
      59.   another 2,000 headaches? 20:39  |  cristo 04/11/07
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