Could this be the year! We could give Arafat the Nobel Peace Prize for having the good sense to finally die.
OTB
Sharon Calls Mahmoud Abbas
* First Conversation Since Election Win
Jan 11, 2005 11:49 am US/Eastern
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday to congratulate him on winning the Palestinian presidential elections, the latest sign that the two sides are eager to restart peace efforts after years of stalemate.
Since Abbas’ landslide victory Sunday, Israel and the Palestinians have signaled their readiness to return to the negotiating table. The election and the formation of a new Israeli government that includes the dovish Labor Party have raised hopes around the world that talks might soon resume.
Tuesday’s phone call, confirmed by Israeli and Palestinian officials, was the first direct contact between the two leaders since the election.
Sharon “congratulated him on his personal achievement and his victory in the elections and wished him luck,� said a statement issued by the prime minister’s office. “They agreed they would continue talking in the near future.�
Earlier Tuesday, Sharon told his new Cabinet he hoped to meet Abbas in the “near future.� He told ministers the meeting would focus on security issues, especially efforts to “halt terrorism,� according to participants.
Abbas is widely considered more moderate than his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, who died Nov. 11 in a French hospital. Israel refused to negotiate with Arafat, accusing him of encouraging violence during the past four years of fighting.
Fresh from his victory, Abbas expressed hope late Monday that the sides will be able to return to the negotiating table.
“We extend our hands to our neighbors,� Abbas said. “We are ready for peace, peace based on justice. We hope that their response will be positive.�
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Abbas to immediately contact the Israeli government to revive peace efforts.
“It shouldn’t be difficult to move in the right direction and at the appropriate speed,� Solana said Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, said after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said plans for a meeting between the leaders were still in an early stage.
“When the right time comes, we will go for a well-prepared meeting. We will not go just for a meeting, but for a useful one,� he said.
cont...
OTB
OTB
Sharon Calls Mahmoud Abbas
* First Conversation Since Election Win
Jan 11, 2005 11:49 am US/Eastern
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday to congratulate him on winning the Palestinian presidential elections, the latest sign that the two sides are eager to restart peace efforts after years of stalemate.
Since Abbas’ landslide victory Sunday, Israel and the Palestinians have signaled their readiness to return to the negotiating table. The election and the formation of a new Israeli government that includes the dovish Labor Party have raised hopes around the world that talks might soon resume.
Tuesday’s phone call, confirmed by Israeli and Palestinian officials, was the first direct contact between the two leaders since the election.
Sharon “congratulated him on his personal achievement and his victory in the elections and wished him luck,� said a statement issued by the prime minister’s office. “They agreed they would continue talking in the near future.�
Earlier Tuesday, Sharon told his new Cabinet he hoped to meet Abbas in the “near future.� He told ministers the meeting would focus on security issues, especially efforts to “halt terrorism,� according to participants.
Abbas is widely considered more moderate than his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, who died Nov. 11 in a French hospital. Israel refused to negotiate with Arafat, accusing him of encouraging violence during the past four years of fighting.
Fresh from his victory, Abbas expressed hope late Monday that the sides will be able to return to the negotiating table.
“We extend our hands to our neighbors,� Abbas said. “We are ready for peace, peace based on justice. We hope that their response will be positive.�
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged Abbas to immediately contact the Israeli government to revive peace efforts.
“It shouldn’t be difficult to move in the right direction and at the appropriate speed,� Solana said Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, said after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said plans for a meeting between the leaders were still in an early stage.
“When the right time comes, we will go for a well-prepared meeting. We will not go just for a meeting, but for a useful one,� he said.
cont...
OTB