July 31, 2008
WASHINGTON: The US, Israel and the Palestinians agreed in talks today to strive for a Middle East peace deal without any 'shortcuts', Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
The parties also regarded Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's announced resignation as an internal matter that would not dampen negotiations for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement.“We will not opt for an option of partial agreements, shortcuts or anything short of a full agreement on all issues,” Mr Erekat told reporters after he and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qorei held talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
There have been reports that Dr Rice, who is to travel to the Middle East next month, is anxious to get the two sides to agree on a document of understanding on some key issues, such as borders for a Palestinian state and the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel.
Such a document was on the cards ahead of the UN General Assembly session in September, some reports suggested, amid growing pessimism about a peace breakthrough before President George W. Bush leaves the White House in January 2009.
Without citing these reports, Mr Erekat said, “Let everybody understand that we are negotiating the issues of Jerusalem, borders, refugees, security, prisoners and water and we want to achieve an agreement on all issues or no agreement.”
“And this was agreed” at the trilateral talks, he said.
The Israelis and Palestinians committed to forging a comprehensive deal by the end of 2008 during a conference Mr Bush hosted in Annapolis, Maryland, in November.
Dr Rice, who has criss-crossed the Middle East since then to forge the deal, described the talks today as “very fruitful”.
She acknowledged the difficulty of achieving a peace deal by the end of the year as targeted, but she noted growing recognition that the Palestinian question should be resolved swiftly for regional security.
“The Middle East is not going to get better without the creation of a Palestinian state to live side-by-side with Israel in peace, security and democracy,” she said yesterday.
“It simply isn't going to get better. And so the question is, if not now, when?” she said.
Source: The Australian
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