Jordan Times (News Section)

'Wind of peace blowing over Mideast'

Qureia, Peres discuss Israel's withdrawal as = Musa says=20 no reform without Palestinian state=20

DEAD SEA (Agencies) =97 Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon = Peres said=20 Saturday a "wind of peace" was blowing over the Middle East, as he = went=20 into a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.

"There is a wind of peace in the Middle East and no one can = stop it. No=20 one can change history," Peres told reporters on the sidelines of = the=20 World Economic Forum on the Dead Sea shores.

Peres stressed that peace and stability were necessary to = "integrate=20 the Middle East into the global economy."

"The choice is between peace or things will remain as they = are."

He also urged the Palestinians to achieve their aspirations = "through=20 dialogue, not bombs and violence.

"The Palestinians should do their best to stop violence," the = former=20 premier and leader of the centre-left Labour Party said, adding = that they=20 should also be helped to set up their own, independent state.

Qureia, who was accompanied by Palestinian Civil Affairs = Minister=20 Mohammad Dahlan, emerged from the 90-minute meeting to say he = hoped=20 Israel's expected pullout from the Gaza Strip will be the "prelude = to=20 peace."

"The Gaza pullout must be an important step capable of = convincing=20 people that it is a prelude for peace."

"We want the pullout to pave the way to negotiations that will = lead to=20 the establishment of a Palestinian state," Qureia added.

Peres said Qureia assured him that the Palestinian Authority = "will take=20 the necessary measures to bring security, to stop the latest = outbursts in=20 Gaza."

"I am very pleased," he said.

Israel on Wednesday launched its first air strike on = Palestinian=20 territory since an informal truce began in January, targeting a = Hamas=20 group readying to fire a mortar.

Palestinian fighters responded by firing on Jewish settlements, = according to Israeli authorities.

In a new blow to the truce, a Palestinian man was killed Friday = by=20 Israeli forces in an abortive assault on the Jewish settlement of = Kfar=20 Darom, which is deeply opposed to Israel's impending pullout from = the=20 territory.

Peres admitted that "real problems" face the Gaza withdrawal = but=20 stressed that Israel is "serious and working" to complete the = pullout=20 which is due to begin in mid-August.

"No one is interested in an escalation. We will continue the=20 discussions," Peres said.

Earlier he told reporters he expected the Gaza pullout to take = place=20 "more or less on time ... in spite of the many difficulties."

"I do not see any sense in postponing it. Postponing will be = harmful to=20 all parties," he said.

His meeting with Qureia came as both Israeli Prime Minister = Ariel=20 Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prepared for = separate trips=20 to the United States.

Abbas is due to hold talks Thursday with US President George W. = Bush,=20 in what will be the first trip to the White House by a Palestinian = leader=20 since Bush took office in January 2001.

At the same time Sharon will be holding talks with Jewish = groups.

On Saturday, Abbas announced he would meet Sharon in June but = Israel=20 swiftly denied any date had been set (see story on page 4). =

Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa said US = efforts to=20 promote political and economic reform in the Middle East will not = succeed=20 until the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved.

"We need and want to advance the region on the basis of a very=20 aggressive reform but reform is not enough to change the region," = Musa=20 told Reuters in an interview.

"There has to be a fair and just settlement of the Palestinian = question=20 in order for this region to move into stability and peace. Reform, = spring,=20 all those things are one thing and settling the Palestinian = question is=20 another one. This is a sine qua non for a better future in the = region."=20

Musa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, said Arab leaders = understood=20 it was "time to change and move ahead," but added that Washington = should=20 step up efforts to urge Israelis and Palestinians to follow the = roadmap=20 peace plan.

The US-backed roadmap envisions peace based on a Palestinian = state=20 living beside a secure Israel.

Critics of US policy in the Middle East have said that US = support for=20 Israel and its conduct in the war in Iraq have reduced its = leverage in the=20 region.

Earlier on Saturday, during a panel discussion on global = security, Musa=20 accused the West of double standards on its campaign to end = nuclear=20 proliferation.

"We are all for ridding the Middle East of weapons of mass = destruction.=20 You talk about Iran, but nobody talks about Israel," he said.

Israel is widely believed to have some 200 atomic bombs.

The EU's three biggest powers hope to persuade Iran next week = not to=20 resume sensitive nuclear work that could be used to make atom = bombs. Iran=20 insists its nuclear programme is for nuclear power plants, not for = arms.=20

Sunday, May 22, 2005