The Israeli Army announced Wednesday that it had relaxed the blockades on Palestinian cities with the exception of Nablus and Jenin. It said that Palestinian public transportation service would also be expanded, and that a limited number of permits would be issued for travel in private cars.
The decisions were taken in the upper echelons of the Israeli "defense" establishment, media reports said. Just last week, the Israeli Army chief of staff, General Moshe Yaalon criticized the continuing travel bans enforced on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, saying they are only fomenting Palestinian hatred. The criticism has appeared to galvanize Israeli public opinion.
Also on Wednesday, Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel was better prepared to foster diplomatic progress with the new government of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei than it had been with that of former premier Mahmoud Abbas, and that it had plans to quickly and smoothly make concessions to foster renewal of peace talks.
For his part, Qurei said Tuesday he was in favor of such talks, but only on certain conditions. "If we consent to meet, it would be first necessary to agree on what will be examined during this meeting and what can be gained from it," he said.
Qurei added that he would not agree to any meeting that would lead only to symbolic gestures "like the dismantling of a checkpoint or the granting of entry permits" to Israel for Palestinian tradesmen.
"We want to consider the ways of re-establishing trust (between Israel and the Palestinians) and putting an end to the killing and the assassinations" of Palestinian activists. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
