Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., February 16, 2008 Adar1 10, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:27 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

PA, Livni: No need to delay J'lem talks By Akiva Eldar The heads of the Palestinian negotiating team and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni object to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's bid to put negotiations on Jerusalem off until the talks' final stage. Ahmed Qureia, who heads the Palestinian delegation, yesterday said he was fully authorized to place all core issues on the negotiating table, without exception and without setting priorities. Advertisement The head of the PLO's negotiation department, Dr. Saeb Erekat, told Haaretz yesterday it was not possible to discuss certain matters without discussing Jerusalem. "The border issue cannot advance without addressing Jerusalem's borders," Erekat said. "As far as we're concerned, Har Homa, Givat Ze'ev and Ma'aleh Adumim are not part of Jerusalem, and Jewish neighborhoods like Ramot and Gilo are settlements for all intents and purposes." Erekat said the negotiations had not really begun - as the sides waste most of the time on procedural issues, evacuating outposts and suspending settlement. He denied reports about a secret channel between Vice Premier Haim Ramon and Palestinian businessman Mohammed Rashid. Erekat added that Rashid had not been authorized by anyone to conduct talks. Livni said it was established in Annapolis that Israel and the Palestinians would conduct negotiations on all the core issues "with no exception." She wrote this in a letter this week to the head of the Jerusalem city council opposition, Nir Barkat. Livni wrote that the talks are proceeding according to the agreement that "until everything is agreed on - nothing is agreed on." This means that the order of debates on the core issues is insignificant, as without an understanding on Jerusalem, any understandings reached on other issues, like borders and refugees, are meaningless. A senior European source told Haaretz that the talks' slow pace and Israel's foot-dragging on its promises to remove roadblocks and evacuate outposts could lead to the PA's collapse in a short time. He said Arab and European donor states conditioned their aid on free movement of people and merchandise in the Palestinian territories. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Seeking refuge 123 Sudanese refugees infiltrate Israel from Egypt overnight. Bracing for terror Israel, U.S. fear retaliatory strikes after killing of Mughniyah.

Today Online Report: 50,000 Hezbollah men deploy in southern Lebanon Responses: 316 Israel: We know how to deal with threats by Hezbollah Responses: 141 Palestinians: Ailing woman dies after IDF denies her access to ambulance Responses: 223 Editorial: As with Mughniyah, killing terrorists sometimes unavoidable Responses: 249 Zvi Bar'el: Roiled Hezbollah chief throws down the gauntlet Responses: 122 Roi Ben-Yehuda: If U.K. rejects sharia law, beit din will face same fate Responses: 108 More Headlines 19:02 Report: PM to declare soldiers abducted by Hezbollah dead 23:56 French FM Kouchner: Israel must stop settlement activity 23:09 PMO negotiations staff to meet for first time Sunday in J'lem 14:42 Hamas airs confessions of Fatah members in plot to kill Haniyeh 19:32 50,000 Hezbollah men said deployed along border with Israel 01:20 ANALYSIS: What Hezbollah could lose in avenging Mughniyah 22:16 Car bombings kill 39 at rally ahead of Pakistan elections 15:09 Lebanese PM: 'Open war' on Israel would harm Hezbollah 21:37 Dozens protest as Dutch singer who performed for Hitler takes stage 21:21 Recent tremors raise fears of potentially destructive earthquake 01:04 Olmert: Road map does not keep Israel from 'other lawful activities' 01:11 Public warned about poisoned fish from Kinneret 00:48 Lebanese Army ends sectarian riots in Beirut after 14 hurt Previous Editions Select Day 15 feb 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb

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