Israeli Official:
Powell Should Expect Inaction if Palestinian Violence Continues
US
Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Israel on Saturday for
a two day visit, which will kick off an intensive period of diplomatic
activity, THE JERUSALEM POST, reported. However, according to a
senior diplomatic official speaking prior to Powell’s visit, Powell
will be disappointed if he expects Israeli to make concessions on
security measures towards the Palestinian Authority at this point,
since Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas’s (Abu Mazen) new government
has not yet begun fighting terror.
A
week after Powell’s visit, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is to travel
to Washington for a May 20 meeting with US President George W. Bush.
According to the official, if the Powell visit focuses on how to
implement the "road map," Sharon’s meeting with Bush will
probably concentrate on the changing strategic situation in the
region as a result of the war in Iraq. The official also said that
while Israel might be willing to take some steps to relieve the
humanitarian situation facing the Palestinians during Powell’s visit,
measures such as lifting roadblocks or pulling back troops would
have to wait until the PA had a credible security force in place
that were both willing and able to fill the vacuum.
Referring
to Thursday’s preemptive operation against Hamas fugitive Iyad al-Bek
in the Gaza Strip, the official said these types of actions remained
necessary owing to the high number of warnings of terror attacks.
Moreover, he said, over the last 30 months, terror attacks have
increased when Powell or other special US envoys, such as Anthony
Zinni, have come to try to mediate the conflict. He said preemptive
actions would continue until the PA takes the steps that will render
them unnecessary. In response to recent reports that the Prime Minister
is purposefully stalling the peace process, the official said, "It
is nonsense to say we are stalling. What should we do, pull out
troops and wait for another suicide bombing? And then what? We are
ready to deal with the Palestinians. A meeting with Abu Mazen [Abbas]
is in the works, but it is not taking place because of Palestinian
domestic considerations." Sharon is also expected to tell Powell
that PA Chairman Yasser Arafat’s shadow is still covering Abbas,
and that Arafat still retains much control over PA finances and
security forces.
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