Israel, PA open talks for Rafah agreement implementation

Israel and the Palestinian Authority began liaison talks yesterday, coordinated by the United States, ahead of the implementation of the Rafah agreement and the opening of the Sinai-Gaza border, slated for Friday.

Senior Defense Ministry officials Amos Gilad and Eitan Dangut met yesterday with Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Richard Jones, and another liaison meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

The Quartet's Mideast envoy, James Wolfensohn, wrote to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas yesterday, thanking them for their efforts in completing the Rafah deal last week.

Wolfensohn wrote that the international community is well aware that the test of the agreement will be its implementation. As per the request of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he wrote, the United States will work closely with both sides in implementing the agreement.

Wolfensohn said each side must act quickly, and that all progress must proceed according to schedule and must be visible. He said the Palestinians must see that Israel has disengaged from the Gaza Strip in a way that allows them to run their own lives, and that Israel must see its security concerns addressed.

Rice request

Rice has requested that Wolfensohn continue to follow up on the border deal and report the activities of Israel, the Palestinians and the international community once every two weeks.

Israel and the United States are conducting parallel negotiations on placing four new X-ray machines at border terminals between Gaza and Israel and between the West Bank and Israel.

The Bush administration is demanding Israel commit to closing the border crossings only in cases of specific security threats, and that it supply reasons for every closure.

The Defense Ministry is leaning toward accepting this condition, but the Justice Ministry and state prosecution oppose giving such a sweeping assurance on a sensitive security matter.