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Olmert Denies Formulating Declaration of Principles, by Herb Keinon and Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
Excerpts;
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday denied reports that Israel and the Palestinians were very close to signing a declaration of principles.
“We are talking about a joint statement which we hope will be the focus of the international summit in November. When we reach a statement, I will bring it to the government. I don’t plan to hide it. There is a difference between a declaration of principles and a statement,” Olmert said at a Kadima and Gil Pensioners ministerial meeting.
Olmert said that he and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas would go no further than a non-binding declaration of intent before an international peace conference this fall, officials said.
The prime minister notified the ministers of a decision to nominate teams that will be charged with formulating a unified declaration of principles with Abbas. “Such a declaration of principles will not be authorized in secret and will be presented to the government, and if need be, to the Knesset as well,” insisted Olmert.
Last week, a senior Palestinian source said that Olmert and Abbas had formulated a statement of principles ahead of the Middle East peace conference hosted by the US.
The Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem issued an unequivocal denial of the document, saying that the PMO knows nothing about it, and that no Israeli official was involved in drawing it up.
Independent Palestinian news Agency Ma’an reported, nevertheless, that the statement included eight principles including an IDF withdrawal from the West Bank, the dismantling of West Bank settlements, a solution to Jerusalem, and halting all Palestinian terror activity against Israel.
Abbas Threatens to Boycott Peace Summit, by Avi Isacharoff, Aluf Benn and Barak Ravid (Haaretz)
Excerpts:
Palestinian authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not attend Washington’s regional peace summit in November unless Israel agrees to a reach an agreement with the Palestinians there.”
“‘If Olmert says there’ll just be a declaration, it’s not worth going to this meeting in Washington,” said Nimr Hamad, an adviser to Abbas. In an unusual move, the chairman’s office issued a press release reacting to Olmert’s statement.
Likud MK: Palestinian-Israeli Declaration Must be Presented to Knesset
Commentary;
By the time the 8 point agreement is, if it ever is, presented to Knesset, it will be presented as a fait-accompli which America expects. And what Israeli Cabinet member or MK; chiloni, dati, chareidi, S’fardi, will have the principle and backbone to stand against it and suffer the loss of his ministry, his seat, his chauffered limo or alienation from the “protexia class?”
It’s up to the people to do what we should have done for our Jewish brothers who were expelled from Gush Katif by the regime. MB
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