AP: Israeli Talks Settlement Withdrawal

[the_boxer_]

AP: Israeli Talks Settlement Withdrawal

By LAURIE COPANS
Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel may soon be compelled to dismantle a "considerable" number of Jewish settlements and draw a border around the rest, Israel's vice premier told The Associated Press on Thursday - a go-it-alone approach he suggested has Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's tacit backing.

Such talk by Vice Premier Ehud Olmert about the West Bank and Gaza Strip is increasingly spooking the Palestinians, who fear they will end up with much less land than in a negotiated agreement. The Palestinians - and the world - will not accept an Israeli dictate, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia warned in a separate interview.

Without a peace deal, "the fire will burn, the terror will grow," Qureia told the Israeli daily Maariv in interview excerpts published Thursday.

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a boost to Israelis and Palestinians who favor a compromise peace deal by meeting with the authors of one such private initiative, former Shin-Bet security chief Ami Ayalon and Palestinian intellectual Sari Nusseibeh.

Powell planned a Friday morning meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, fresh from meetings in Europe with the Egyptian president and Palestinian foreign minister, where renewed peace talks were high on the agenda.

http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/I/ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[number6]

1. will it just be talk ????

will they ever walk the walk...

[tinnypriv]

2. Fairly clever

Obviously the plan is to continue the wall and dismantle the settlements Israel doesn't especially need to control the 60% or so they want of the WB.

Then when the RW leaves the coalition government, the Labor stooges will replace them.

Ma'ariv actually mentioned that Peres might be a minister by the summer BTW.

The wall become the border, and this solution will be "imposed".

It probably won't work, unless the Palestinians submit. Can't see that happening, but you never know.

Crucial question (as always) is how the US will react. There will be no reaction until Nov 2004 as long as Israel doesn't cross the 3 Bush admin red lines ("heat up" the territories, destablise the region, kill Arafat).

After that, who knows.

[pistoff democrat]

3. Hey, I think he's on your side.

Burning bridges not only with enemies but with potential friends is not the way to go! ;-)

BTW: "Labor stooges"...come on :crazy: .

[bemildred]

4. Yeah, a lot smarter.

And it spins much better.
But still unilateral.