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Shas leader Eli Yisha. (Dan Keinan)
Last update - 00:00 27/11/2007
Eli Yishai: Annapolis participants are out of touch with reality
By Reuters
Tags: Hamas, Annapolis 

Head of the Shas party and Employment, Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai called the speeches at the Annapolis conference "dreams" out of touch with a reality where Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is incapable of fighting terror or establishing control.

Yishai added that the Shas party has no intention of leaving the government in protest to the joint Israeli-Palestinian statement reached at the conference, saying that there is no reason to do so as the agreements have no possibility of being carried out.

Head of the Meretz-Yahad party MK Yossi Beilin stated that as long as Yishai and rightist MK Avigdor Lieberman stay in the coalition, they will serve to hamper and complicate any future peace negotiations rendering it impossible to have faith in Olmert's actions.
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Beilin added that the presence of the two rightist MKs in the coalition is especially problematic at a time when there is "a clear majority in the Knesset that supports peace."

Hamas officials on Tuesday downplayed the significance of the Annapolis conference, with Ahmed Youssef, aide to deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh calling it a "waste of time."

Youssef branded the statment a "hopeless attempt" to portray U.S. President George W. Bush as a great leader, and said that the failure of Palestinian leaders to secure minor concessions in the West Bank nullifies any hope that they could solve central issues like Jerusalem, borders and refugees.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri denied the conference had anything to do with advancing Middle East peace prospects. He said that the conference served only to advance "Israeli and American interests and not to serve Palestinian interests."

Fatah officials however expressed optimism about the conference in Annapolis, Maryland. The group's spokesman Fahmi Zaariri called it "a stop in a long path of difficult negotiations," adding that Fatah members support and trust Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in his efforts.

Zaariri added however, that no final status agreements can be successful under the current situation on the ground, saying that "we reject normalization and coexistence as long as there is occupation. Israel should withdraw from our territories."

Settler council: Annapolis will bring only violence

Danny Dayan, spokesman for the Yesha Council of Settlements, also blasted the conference Tuesday, calling it a "transparent" attempt to bring negotiations to secure Bush a Nobel Peace Prize, with the eventual result being a "catastrophe."

"Expectations will rise and when they are dashed, the resulting frustration will bring only violence," Dayan said.

Dayan warned against the establishment of a Palestinian state via Israeli and Palestinian Authority negotiations, saying it would pose "a threat to the very existence of Israel and would only bring more instability to the region and the world."

Arab Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am Ta'al) said right-wing Israelis had little to worry about from the summit, as previous agreements have not been followed through on, and "nothing has yet been agreed to on the actual creation of a Palestinian state."

Leaders of the right-wing National Union - National Religious Party leveled harsh criticism on the summit with NRP Zevulun Orlev saying the summit proved Israel is facing "a fire sale in the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and especially in Jerusalem."

MK Aryeh Eldad criticized the summit, saying it proved Israel had abandoned the principle of refusing to negotiate on core issues as long as Palestinian terrorism continued.

Fellow MK Benny Elon dismissed the relevance of the conference, saying "peace is not made at cocktail parties." He called Annapolis a "film detached from reality, whose ending we have already seen."

MK Uri Ariel added a warning that the establishment of a Palestinian state "will only bring further violence and push peace further away."

Related articles:
Israel, PA agree to strive for accord by end of 2008
HAARETZ SPECIAL FEATURE: THE ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE
Analysis / Four quick points on Israel-Palestinian joint statement
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  1.   Misplaced (or politically manifested) fear 20:36  |  Sam 27/11/07
  2.   Hyena Whinging from the Peanut Gallery 20:44  |  Mohan 27/11/07
  3.   Limited Quotes. 21:10  |  Thomas C. Inskip 27/11/07
  4.   Cynicism, rejection, fear 21:43  |  Rachel 27/11/07
  5.   a coalition of NO`s 22:04  |  avramele 27/11/07
  6.   SHAS COULD BE BOUGHT BY HAMAS 22:13  |  B.Heddem 27/11/07
  7.   Shas 22:29  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 27/11/07
  8.   This a TOTAL farce 23:09  |  Nemesis 27/11/07
  9.   What kind of coalition would Beilin suggest ? 23:14  |  redmike 27/11/07
  10.   #5 - something for you to read and hopefully understand 23:19  |  redmike 27/11/07
  11.   It`s so good to see people of faith so full of faith & hope 23:19  |  b`galil 27/11/07
  12.   #1 - sadly you have not or cannot except the truth 23:27  |  redmike 27/11/07
  13.   Hamas and Shas - Two Birds of The Same Feather Flocking Together 23:30  |  Lev Bronstein 27/11/07
  14.   SHAS GLUED TO THEIR SEATS WITH MILLION SHEQEL GLUE)))) 23:39  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 27/11/07
  15.   SHAS` PARTNERSHIP TO OLMERT`S JERUSALEM SURRENDER STATEMENT-HILUL 23:45  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 27/11/07
  16.   YISHAI,AGREEMENTS WILL BE BROKEN ANYWAY,YOUR PART IS HILUL HASHEM 23:48  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 27/11/07
  17.   We Will Have Peace... 00:33  |  Yoram 28/11/07
  18.   SHAS GLUED TO THEIR SEATS WITH MILLION SHEQEL GLUE)))) 01:13  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 28/11/07
  19.   SHAS` PARTNERSHIP TO OLMERT`S JERUSALEM SURRENDER STATEMENT-HILUL 01:14  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 28/11/07
  20.   Israel - Its Leadership Has Often Meen Out of Touch with Reality 01:36  |  Tod Zuckerman 28/11/07
  21.   The reason for Oslo disaster was,the 01:45  |  TOMY 28/11/07
  22.   Jerusalem 02:46  |  Chester 28/11/07
  23.   How Will The US React To Obstructionism? 03:20  |  chet 28/11/07
  24.   Eli Yishai tottaly clueless as usual 14:33  |  SJ 28/11/07
  25.   islam 03:30  |  english crusaders 20/02/09
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