Syria, Saudi Arabia among invitees to peace summit
U.S. expected to officially announce list of over 40 invitees, date of Annapolis summit on Tues.
By Barak Ravid and News Agencies Tags: Ehud Olmert Haim Ramon Avigdor LiebermanSyria and Saudi Arabia are among more than 40 countries, groups of nations, financial and other institutions and individuals that the United States is inviting to a Middle East peace conference it will host next week. (Click here for a partial list of invitees.)
U.S. embassies in the invited countries and diplomats accredited to the non-sovereign entities were to be notified as early as Tuesday to request the presence of their host governments at the foreign minister or other appropriate level, according to officials familiar with the process.
Israel and the Palestinian Authority both confirmed Tuesday that they had received a formal invitation.
"President [Mahmoud] Abbas has received a formal invitation from U.S. President George W. Bush to attend the Annapolis conference," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, an aide to Abbas, told Reuters.
A partial list of confirmed invitees obtained by The Associated Press ahead of an official announcement expected Tuesday included an Arab League committee comprised of, among other states, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
Bush called Saudi King Abdullah on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland, the White House said.
"The two leaders shared their views of the process that is underway between the Israelis, Palestinians and the international community," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement. But he gave no indication whether Abdullah had cleared up the question of Saudi Arabia's attendance at the meeting.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Tuesday he believes Syria will attend the summit, following talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Also on the list of invitees were Kuwait, Iraq, and Libya, the Vatican, the G-8 industrialized nations, China and Turkey.
The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Organization of Islamic Conference were also invited.
Israeli, PA teams meet again in bid to bridge gaps
The Israeli and the Palestinian negotiation teams met again on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to prepare a joint document before next week's Annapolis meeting, Israel Radio reported.
"I don't know if we can finalize the document," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Army Radio after late night talks on Monday between the teams, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former PA prime minister Ahmed Qureia, reportedly made progress.
The two sides managed to bridge a number of differences, the main agreement being that the declaration would concentrate on the process and the negotiations after the summit, and not on the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - the fate of Jerusalem, refugees and borders.
"There is optimism compared with recent days, and there is a good chance of reaching a mutually agreed upon text of the declaration in coming days," said an official source in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss Arab participation in the summit. Arab League foreign ministers will meet in Cairo on Thursday to debate their participation at Annapolis.
Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Monday for over two hours, meeting alone for part of the meeting while the rest of the time broad teams of negotiators met to discuss the joint declaration. Other issues also arose during the meeting, including the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners.
Olmert and Abbas discussed the day after Annapolis, and agreed that follow-up talks would be very intensive. Olmert told the cabinet yesterday that an agreement should be reached within a year.
Palestinian sources said that no breakthroughs or significant advances were made at a Monday meeting between Olmert and Abbas. According to the sources, the sides have not agreed on a single item in the joint declaration to be made at the end of the summit. It is possible that in the end there will be separate declarations instead, or instead a declaration with little real content concerning the issues relating to the permanent agreement between the sides.
Erekat characterized the meeting as serious and difficult. He said that the leaders exchanged new proposals during the meeting, and agreed that the negotiation teams would continue their work to try to bridge gaps.
The two leaders exchanged position papers on the open issues. Olmert, for example, proposed that the Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel, the Jewish state, with "recognized borders."
On the other side, the Palestinians demanded that the Annapolis declaration include "the Palestinian state with the borders of June 4, 1967, alongside Israel," with no mention of the term "Jewish state."
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Israel and Palestinian leaders on Monday in a pre-summit meeting. (AP) |
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Fred - I have found out some of the facts about Islam--If you wish, feel free to respond and refute them--Be specific when you do so--Notice that I have also given links to several sites-- KORANS TEACHINGS OF HATE http://www.faithfreedom.org/Quran.htm KORAN commands to kill infidels: O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Those of you who make them his friends is one of them. God does not guide an unjust people. - 5:54 Allah is an enemy to unbelievers. - Sura 2:98 Slay them wherever ye find them and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. - 2:191 Fight against them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme. (different translation: ) Fight them until there is no persecution and the religion is God's entirely. - Sura 2:193 and 8:39 ..... martyrs.... Enter heaven - Surah 3:140-43 If you should die or be killed in the cause of Allah, His mercy and forgiveness would surely be better than all they riches they amass. If you should die or be killed, before Him you shall all be gathered. - 3:157-8 Those who believe fight in the cause of God, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil. - 4:76 But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them. - 4:89 Therefore, we stirred among them enmity and hatred, which shall endure till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will declare to them all that they have done. - 5:14 Make war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme - 8:39 It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land. - 8:67 Allah will humble the unbelievers. Allah and His apostle are free from obligations to idol-worshipers. Proclaim a woeful punishment to the unbelievers. - 9:2-3 When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. - 9:5 Believers! Know that idolators are unclean. - 9:28 Fight those who believe neither in God nor the Last Day, nor what has been forbidden by God and his messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are People of the Book, until they pay the tribute and have been humbled. - 9:29 (another source: ) The unbelievers are impure and their abode is hell. (another source: ) Humiliate the non-Muslims to such an extent that they surrender and pay tribute. Whether unarmed or well-equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah, with your wealth and your persons. - 9:41 O Prophet! Make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites. Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. - 9:73 Allah has purchased of their faithful lives and worldly goods, and in return has promised them the Garden. They will fight for His cause, kill and be killed. - 9:111 Fight unbelievers who are near to you. 9:123 (different translation: Believers! Make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Let them find harshness in you. (another source: ) Ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers.... ttp://www.renewamerica.us/columns/shroder/040830
We have those worthless shits in the U.S.--You have them in England - Think of Lord Haw Haw, You had a King who loved Germany and stepped down because of his love for a divorcee---- One swallow does not a summer make, nor does being a playwright, author and a Jew indicate wisdom--Hollywood is full of those people--You have proven nothing---
sorry redmike becusae of peaple like you that distort the truth about islam thier will never be peace the.it's isreal that always renegs on it's promises just ask the vatican.
Minister, you mentioned the idealistic assessment that both Israel and the Arabs have to ignore the extremists and radicals on each of their sides to make peace. Unfortunately, there are a lot of moderates in Israel - but the entire PalArab region is 100% extremist. They are ALL Jihadists, so please deal with reality. The PalArabs want to drive the Jews into the sea.
Ivar in Estonia, What are you guys smoking up there? "Achieving peace in the current round, made possible by the Saudi Initiative, is crucial and decisive not only for Israel, but for the region and the world. The Saudis created this historic opportunity" Do you really believe this fairy tale? The entire Arab world is out for Israel's distruction, they always have been and always will be.
Israel will give up land needed for her security - The Arabs will sign a piece of paper. Any peace here? Of course not. The Arabs will never give up their struggle to eliminate the Jewish state. I'm sure ALL posters on this site, deep down agree with me.
Pal Medias Watch analysts termed the juxtaposition of English-language messages of peace and Arabic-language internal propaganda that is virulently anti-Israel "duplicity," And said that Arafat, as chairman of the PA, was a 'notorious' deceiver in this regard. "Israel paid dearly for its trust in Arafat's English pronouncements,' with more than 1,000 killed and tens of thousands wounded in the Palestinian Authority-led terror war. Today's leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, was Arafat's right hand man and partner during the first duplicity period. To Israel and the U.S. in English, he is talking peace. To his people in Arabic, through his TV and schoolbooks, he is promoting hatred and promising the destruction of Israel. Abbas is following Arafat's successful duplicity tactic. It is incumbent upon Israel and the world to verify this before going further, conclude the PMW directors Moreover, Abbas should be demanded explanations for statements by Fatah leaders indicating that they will renew negotiations with Hamas after Rice's planned summit at Annapolis
Will Olmert withstand it?
You want to learn history, read the book, Secret War against the Jews... There you will learn the dirty politics and plots to destroy Israel in which all failed of course. What Arab took in the Jews, we fight for our home, moron. Where in the hell did you learn your history. BTW, can you back your comment that Israel is or trying to commit ethic cleansing on the pals and christians?
Since they have almost all the Arab dictatorships (Avigdor Lieberman would be ecstatic) and the Chinese there as well, they really should have invited representatives of the following organizations to complete the circle: 1- The International Society of Tomato Juice, 2- The Government of Kazakhstan (is niiiice), 3- The Brotherhood for the Preservation of Jamaican Spiced Tea, 4- The Belgium Hamster Liberation Organization (General Command), 5- The 'Save the Judean Baboons' Foundation, 6- The Islamic Society for the Condemnation of Polish Beer.
J, Carter is not a Moran; he is the first US president to tell the truth. Israel is the problem as it can be solved easily. 1. Stop your aggression. 2. Treat the Pals like humans and finally, start interacting and stop your isolation. Walls were built in the past and indeed they came down.
If Vatican and Ourganization of Islamic Conference is invited (bravo), why not World Zionist Organization, the World Jewish Congress or B'nai Brith? And why not Argentina, Switzerland and Lybia?
The US blah blah blah , the extremists yada yada yada , And the Jewish State foot the bills of the peace offering antisemites' holocaust altar,
Tired of your appropriation of the Messiah's dictums, and of your ponficicating Chutzpah. Try Jerusalem Post for a change.
In an interview, with the Times of London, Kushner declared: ?I deplore the brutal and illegal tactics of the Israeli Defense Forces in the occupied territories. I deplore the occupation, the forced evacuations, the settlements, the refugee camps, the whole shameful history of the dreadful suffering of the Palestinian people; Jews, of all people, with our history of suffering, should refuse to treat our fellow human beings like that.? TONY KUSHNER is playwright, and a Jewish intellectual.
Ivar: The excellent quality of your writing makes your idolatrous respect for the Arab League nearly terrifying. For 60 years they have insisted on all or nothing. For sixty years they have sought to harm Israel. For sixty years they have fought the Jews to the last Palestinian and they have achieved neither victory over the Jews nor statehood for their Palestinian cousins. Their support for the "Saudi initiative" represents no change at all. To expect Israel to revert to the pre-1967 status quo ante without any acceptance for the huge Arab role in causing the Occupation, describes both the arrogance and continuing failure of the Arab League. To suggest the Arab League holds the key to success is akin to believeing that Maa-alune will cure the world's ills.
They should be arrested and sent to Guantanamo for questioning.
and Bush and Rice spend their time on a 40 nation farce like this. What a joke.
he sunk! He should resign,after engaging in all his anti Palestinian activity.As for his side kick erakat,looking with fake solemnity at his documents,he and his quisling leader are signing away Palestinian rights,which were 'demanded' by the PLO Declaration of Independence in 1988: the Partition Line of 1947,demarcated by UN Resolution 1981,the only legally authorised boundary between israel & Palestine,plus Jerusalem as capital & ROR. israel's admission to the UN was conditional on its acceptance of Resolution 194(ROR).
Since you are so good with calendar dates, what year was it in Germany when theGerman's embarked on ethnic cleansing like the neoIsraeli/Zionists are doing to the Palestinian and Christian people? The Arab peoples were the only people in the world who would take the Jews after the war and as we can all see what happend was a disaster.
These people are holding on to their political convictions and reject dealing with substance. The PA continues to push for 1967 "borders" and rejects the thought--and term--"Jewish state." They will not, therefore, make any progress in Maryland. As long as the will not deal honestly--"not on the core issues"--Israel will be going nowhere and the PA charade will continue. Muslim lies about Israel must stop, as taught in their schools/TV/political deception, then Israel might just be more welcome to the PA dialog. Let the PA present a new (genuine) charter at Annapolis, accepting a Jewish Israel, then we might get somewhere!
I think this would be the first peace negotiation meeting attended by the PA
The bridge required between the two positions would be quite impressive - an eighth wonder of the world! It's rather sad: the world knows pretty well what the script is for peace. It has to include Israeli withdrawal from most of the settlements, a real stop to Palestinian attacks ... and straight away we can see why it's not going to come from these leaders: neither of them has the standing to force his extremists to agree to even that much. So what now? The Israelis will pretend to rein in the settlers, and the Palestinians will pretend to stop the attacks. And everyone will suffer, Palestinians even worse than Israelis. And more people - mostly Palestinians and Lebanese, but also Israelis and others - will die. When are the ordinary people on both sides going to rise up, say "basta", and face down their own extremists?
Blah blah blah blah blah... full of it you are When in history for any civilization or country such as the US, france, Britain, Russia, China won lands in conflict (and in this case, brought about by the Arabs and pals in 48,56,67,and 73) and that was "stealing" Sorry to be the one to tell you, but when the Pals and Arabs make war, actually several wars, then lose those wars, they dont get to dictate terms. In fact, no process of humanity, such as this, has been more true throughout the ages. They, like perhaps you, need to deal with the consequences of their actions, and accept responsibility for such actions, which involve the loss of land in war. Period. PS you have been reading that moron, jimmy carters book havent you. Try reading some primary literature, before turning to a failed presiden
Israel is the problem and not the victim as it always portrays itself. They want to steal the water resources, Jerusalem, large areas of the west bank and establish a Jewish state limiting Palestinian rights and privledges in a racist, apartheid setting. Oh yes, America keep sending them weapons and money while Israel pushes you further into wars and decline.
Look at the chasm: " the Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel, the Jewish state, with "recognized borders." (Israel) "the Palestinian state with the borders of June 4, 1967, alongside Israel," (Palestinians) Aren't we way before square one? With such unrealistic stances, going to Annapolis is criminal. NO PEACE will be writen in stone.
someone should tell ollie that if theres no deal in 1920/1922/1936/1939 /1947 /1967/1973/1992/ 2000/ /2006/2007 ther is no deal at any time !! back to basics arabs to arab palestine know latterly as jordan
negociations only between two parties usually enemies but not between a master/israel and the agents fatah men/village associates
The article, and its kindred weltanschau, does not take into consideration the inherent values and strengths of peace, even if by a hudna. In the present situation of Occupation, the international community recognizes Israel as bearing the brunt of responsibility for the conflict, based on American funding of the IDF occupation of the West Bank upon which its rolling annexation to Israel has been carried out. Every branch of the Israeli government has contributed to this rolling annexation in establishing the settlements, even the illegal ones, if only by a wink and a nod. I do not deny there are extremist elements in Islam. But the rolling annexation in service to Zionism has been no less contributory to relentless and needless war. Human nature loves peace. Mussolini, Marx, Hitler, Lenin, Albert Pike, and Mazzini all had battle axes to grind. This does NOT represent the best of humanity, even in Islam, not to mention Judaism. Your approach is the fast track to catastrophe.
please read this .. http://hudna.notlong.com If you read and understand it you will never make a similar post again! Mike
Since there is next to no chance that Olmert will even be in politics in a year's time this statement is what Americans call - "hogwash". Does he believe this nonsense? If 'yes' then his psychological state is much worse than previously thought! It's a pity that he is not being removed from his position as PM right now because he has became mentally unstable and dangerous! Mike
Will all those that disfavour settling the issues once and for all, along the lines of the Saudi Initiative + recognition of Israel as a Jewish State with clear borders, note that peace in the region may be like the child's game with dominoes--one piece may knock over the rest. "It is better to gain in trade than as a gift."
Ahmad Qurei only represents himself and the thugs of the Fatah. His arrival at an agreement with Livni must have involved contracts for further building of settlements, cement and jew-only road construction. History will judge Quarei as the most insolent Palestinian to strike an unjust deal with Israel. Annapolis is destined to fail as per the several articles published in your respectable paper. Why then is it the oppressors of the Palestinians are the ones Israel always seeks agreements with? It would be better for Israelis wot work with Palestinians who have no personal interest in the continuation of the conflict to arrive at a just and equitable agreement. Free Palestine NOW! Free it of the thugs of the ilk of Qurei as well!
Achieving peace in the current round, made possible by the Saudi Initiative, is crucial and decisive not only for Israel, but for the region and the world. The Saudis created this historic opportunity, and the Arab League established it by adopting the Saudi Initiative. Therefore the Saudi Initiative should be given the honor and function it deserves at both Annapolis, and the ensuing peace negotiations. Likewise, useful features of the Road Map may be retained. Essential is the result on time, the agreement, not neccessarily the various paths, which over the years have multiplied. Also, including at least token mention of the Golan issue at Annapolis can only help, first of all as a drawing card for the bulk of the most essential desired participants, Syria and the Arab League because the Golan issue represents the REGIONAL PEACE IN WHICH ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE INTERESTED, PARTICULARLY THE CRUCIAL ARAB LEAGUE. Rather than being a hindrance at Annapolis, Golan would be a plus.
What a waste of time. Abbas's word is wotrhless. He is a terrorist in a suit, not a partner. The left must be on drugs to think otherwise. We need elections now! Bibi for prime minister, yes!
Do not confuse process with progress. Even though they are almost spelled the same, the results are very different.
increase and devolop every jewish outpost and settlements , Gaza disengagement is a blunder not to repeat , Jewish State live or die but fight back the murderous arab violent occupation , push back arabs to arabia wilderness , Olmert with lefties Out , Kadima Down ,
After all, where is the freeze in Palestinian terror? Why is a total settlement freeze required but not a total terror freeze?