Abbas Praises Palestinian Factions

Mohamad Al Ashab     Al-Hayat     2003/07/29

Rabat

Morocco's King Mohamad VI held talks yesterday noon at the Royal Palace of Tetouan, in the North of the country, with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen). According to official sources, they discussed the results of the talks between Abbas and the U.S. President Bush in Washington, and examined the latest developments regarding the Palestinian file and the Roadmap.  

The Palestinian Prime Minister said that "the Roadmap is a rare chance to implement peace" between Palestinians and Israelis. He said: "Israel should avoid any provocative actions," insisting that the Palestinian Authority is committed to carrying out security procedures in Gaza and Bethlehem, after Israel withdraws from the region. He encourages the Israeli party to follow the Roadmap, especially concerning ending the construction of settlements and their expansion and avoiding exerting pressure on the Palestinians. However, he believes the role of the American mediator remains decisive in seeing the Roadmap implemented.  

The Palestinian official said that any attempt to dismantle the Palestinian groups such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad could jeopardize the Roadmap. He said that these factions were fully capable of taking responsibility for the future of the Palestinian people.  

Abu Rudayna asks Bush to pressure Sharon to execute the Roadmap

According to AFP, Nabil Abu Rudayna, advisor to Palestinian President Arafat, asked yesterday U.S. President Bush to exert pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whom he is supposed to meet on Tuesday in Washington, to "execute the Roadmap and release the Palestinian prisoners."  

Abu Rudayna said that he is demanding "the U.S. and President Bush to exert pressure on Sharon and his administration to execute the Roadmap," pointing out that "until this moment, the Israelis are showing no serious will to execute the Roadmap."

He insisted on "the need for Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian villages and cities and the end of the blockade and waves of arrests, including the siege of President (Yasser) Arafat."

Abu Rudayna indicated that "the concessions the Israelis presented so far are not enough, and the number of Palestinian militants they want to free is not enough either, because they have to free all the prisoners and detainees from all categories and the U.S. administration should pressure Israel" towards realizing all this.

Regarding the seriousness of the U.S., Abu Rudayna declared: "the American officials were understanding and the Palestinians felt they had a new stand during their visit to Washington." 

He also insisted on the "need to bring down the separation wall especially since it represents an obstacle in the face of the peace process," and he assured that "things can't evolve with the presence of the wall and the Israeli violations." 

Abu Rudayna had declared on Sunday night that President Arafat updated Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with the results of the talks of the Palestinian delegation in Washington.