Palestinians speaking via video hookup told an international conference on the Middle East on Tuesday that peace talks can resume only when suicide bombings stop and Israel eases restrictions on Palestinians.
The conference was sponsored by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "The suicide bombings will not bring us peace, and confiscating of our liberty will not bring you security," Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said. "Let us together reject extremism in all its forms. Let us together choose the path of peaceful negotiations."
He said his statement was addressed to the Israeli public.
When the meeting ended, the British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw described it as "comprehensive" and "constructive," and Palestinian delegates promised to produce a draft of the new Palestinian constitution to participants in the next two weeks.
Straw added the so-called Quartet - the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia - would meet again in London the week of Feb. 10 "to take further stock of the progress which we have made today." "We are determined that this meeting should not be seen as a one off, but as part of a process which supports and complements the work of the quartet," the British minister conveyed. (Albawaba.com)
