Blair Urges Middle East Progress

by Reuters

Palestinians and Israelis must try to improve living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to keep the peace process alive ahead of a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush in May, Envoy for the Quartet of Middle East Peace Brokers, Tony Blair, said on Tuesday.

Blair also told the European Parliament that progress in the peace talks was crucial to build both sides’ confidence in the negotiations and to show that Palestinians could take charge of security, and called for a new strategy on dealing with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Posted on: 03/26/08

Officials: Israel to Supply PA Forces with Security Equipment

by News Agencies

Israeli officials say Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to transfer police cars and ammunition to the Palestinians, and let thousands more West Bank residents work in Israel.

Barak will make Israel’s position known in a meeting later Wednesday with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The defense minister announced on Tuesday that he has approved the entry of 600 Palestinian policemen into Jenin, where they will engage in routine law enforcement. The policemen are currently undergoing training in Jordan.

Posted on: 03/26/08

Livni: Israel’s Activity in Gaza Aids Peace Talks

by Aviram Zino (Ynet)

Israel’s negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not change the situation in Gaza, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday, at a Jerusalem conference.

"The anti-terror activity in Gaza does not hinder the peace process, but rather helps it along," she said, adding that Israel will have no problem facing the international community’s judgment, since "the limitations we’ve placed on ourselves are based on our moral values."

Posted on: 03/26/08

Rice Snubs Netanyahu in Upcoming Visit

by Gil Hoffman (The Jerusalem Post)

Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu has not received an invitation to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her trip to Israel that begins on Saturday night, sources close to Netanyahu said Tuesday. …

Netanyahu’s associates said they were not surprised by the snub, because her visit was intended to promote the Annapolis process that Rice initiated and Netanyahu opposes. They emphasized that he had better relations with other American leaders such as Vice President Dick Cheney, with whom he met on Sunday.

Posted on: 03/26/08

United States Can and Should Help Both Sides

“If there is ever to be a viable Palestinian state, a new paradigm is needed. Instead of one powerful so-called ‘honest broker,’ each side in the conflict should have its own powerful advocate.”
–Linda Heard, Arab News, March 25, 2008

VS.

“Even with a robust and more skillful U.S. role, there is no guarantee of success in the peace process, for such success depends first and foremost on the will of the parties to address problems through negotiations, not violence, and to reach agreement on the core issues still in dispute. But without a robust U.S. role, a peace process conducted solely by the parties themselves is unlikely to succeed. The U.S. can help the parties identify creative bridging solutions on substantive issues, and can help deal with the issues outside the negotiations that help or hurt the atmosphere for the negotiations.”
–Daniel C. Kurtzer, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt, “Rosner’s Guest,” Haaretz, discussing lessons learned from research for the book, Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East. March 24, 2008