Israel, US agree boycott plan

JERUSALEM – The US and Israel have agreed ahead of a three-way meeting with the Palestinians to shun any new Palestinian government that does not renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept existing peace agreements, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said yesterday.

The so-called Quartet of Mideast negotiators – the US, European Union, UN and Russia – has set these demands as a condition for lifting crippling international sanctions. The platform of a new Palestinian power-sharing agreement, reached in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, speaks only of “respect” for existing peace deals.Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Olmert were to meet separately yesterday with US Secretary Condoleezza Rice ahead of their three-way meeting today.In a further indication of tensions before the meeting, Rice and Abbas cancelled a press conference that had been scheduled to follow their one-on-one talks, Abbas’ office said.Before meeting with Abbas, Rice told reporters the two would discuss the power-sharing agreement, as well as prospects for peace.The purpose of the meeting today would be to “examine the current situation and to commit -recommit – to existing agreements but also to begin to explore and probe the political and diplomatic horizon,” she said.The summit today was initially billed as an attempt to revive long-stalled peace talks.But friction over the power-sharing deal has eclipsed that.Olmert said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that he and US President George W Bush had spoken by phone on Friday about the deal and agreed the Palestinians had to go further.”A Palestinian government that won’t accept the Quartet conditions won’t receive recognition and cooperation,” Olmert said.”The American and Israeli positions are totally identical on this issue.”Neither Washington nor Israel have said, however, that they would boycott Abbas, who, as head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, would represent the Palestinians in any peace talks.Peace negotiations broke down more than six years ago in an explosion of violence between the two sides.Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, who has been charged with putting together the next government, said the Palestinians must hold firm against international criticism.Nampa-APThe platform of a new Palestinian power-sharing agreement, reached in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, speaks only of “respect” for existing peace deals.Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Olmert were to meet separately yesterday with US Secretary Condoleezza Rice ahead of their three-way meeting today.In a further indication of tensions before the meeting, Rice and Abbas cancelled a press conference that had been scheduled to follow their one-on-one talks, Abbas’ office said.Before meeting with Abbas, Rice told reporters the two would discuss the power-sharing agreement, as well as prospects for peace.The purpose of the meeting today would be to “examine the current situation and to commit -recommit – to existing agreements but also to begin to explore and probe the political and diplomatic horizon,” she said.The summit today was initially billed as an attempt to revive long-stalled peace talks.But friction over the power-sharing deal has eclipsed that.Olmert said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that he and US President George W Bush had spoken by phone on Friday about the deal and agreed the Palestinians had to go further.”A Palestinian government that won’t accept the Quartet conditions won’t receive recognition and cooperation,” Olmert said.”The American and Israeli positions are totally identical on this issue.”Neither Washington nor Israel have said, however, that they would boycott Abbas, who, as head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, would represent the Palestinians in any peace talks.Peace negotiations broke down more than six years ago in an explosion of violence between the two sides.Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, who has been charged with putting together the next government, said the Palestinians must hold firm against international criticism.Nampa-AP