Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is due to meet Tuesday with the new Palestinian interior minister, Abdel Razik Yehiyeh, to review the PA efforts to implement security reforms. The meetings have been criticized by Palestinian figures who said they give Israel political gains while it is attacking the Palestinians.
The meeting is backed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and PA leader Yasser Arafat. Later on Tuesday, Sharon is due to meet with Peres, Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Finance Minister Silvan Shalom to discuss Israel's diplomatic moves in the wake of U.S. President George Bush's speech on the Middle East.
For his part, Bush said Monday night that some "progress" had been made towards reforms in the PA which he has demanded as a condition for the establishment of a Palestinian state. "I believe some progress is being made towards the institutions that I have talked about that are necessary for a Palestinian state to emerge which will give us all confidence in its ability to fight off terrorist activities," Bush said.
The president said in a White House news conference it was also important for Palestinian institutions to emerge to ensure that foreign aid was properly spent and that a valid judicial system could develop. "What is very important is that those institutions evolve and grow so that the true will of the Palestinian people can be reflected in the government and (that) institutions grow and evolve so that there is in fact separation of power," he said.
"So that all the hopes of the Palestinians don't rest on one person, and I believe that we are making some progress there."
The U.S. leader reiterated his backing for Israel's re-occupation of Palestinian towns until the general security situation improves. "I said in my (June 24 Middle East) speech as security improves, I also will call upon the Israelis as security improves to allow for more freedom of movement by the Palestinian people," Bush stated.
Asked again if he is perfectly comfortable with Israel's presence in the West Bank, Bush said: "I would hope that everybody got the message that we all have the responsibility to fight off terrorist attacks, yeah."
Bush spoke after US officials said Monday that plans were underway for foreign ministers from the international diplomatic "quartet" on the Middle East -- the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia --to meet next week at the United Nations. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
