Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
Progress on Negotiations
On April 29, Palestinian head negotiator Ahmed Queria expressed frustration after Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni presented a plan in which Israel would control the larger West Bank settlement blocs in any future agreement. The talks were further complicated by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s statements on the need for special security arrangements in the eastern mountain range of the West Bank, not far from Ben Gurion airport. On May 2, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, citing Israel’s failure to cease settlement construction, stated that if Israel continues to neglect its Annapolis conference obligations, negotiations may collapse. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met today in Jerusalem for their third round of one-on- one talks in less than a month.
U.S. Efforts
From April 23-24, Bush met separately with Jordan’s King Abdullah and Abbas at the White House. Abdullah reportedly stressed the need for greater U.S. involvement in overcoming difficulties between the two sides and for increased pressure on Israel to make more concessions. The meetings with Abdullah were evidence of an additional U.S. strategy to reduce damage to U.S. credibility in the Arab world, should the overall peace initiative fail. During his visit with Bush, Abbas expressed disappointment with the president’s unwillingness to press Israeli implementation of road map promises, including an end to settlement expansion. Abbas claimed that the meeting failed to progress negotiations.
During a two-day visit to the region this weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a peace deal is still possible by the end of 2008. She called on Israel to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians and described Israeli settlements as “particularly problematic,” while also pressing the Palestinians to take additional efforts to meet Israeli security demands.
President Bush will visit the region from May 13-18 to advance the peace talks and to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary. While in Israel, Bush is scheduled to speak to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and hold talks with Olmert and Israeli President Shimon Peres. Bush will also hold talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and will visit Egypt where he will meet with Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Regional Efforts
Jordan’s King Abdullah recently told Israeli MK Yossi Beilin that progress in peace negotiations prior to a final agreement might be sufficient for Arab League states to implement parts of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Abdullah also said that encouraging progress on negotiations could lead to a number of Arab and Muslim states opening diplomatic relations with Israel.
Progress on Road Map Implementation
Movement and Access
A road access closure for all but humanitarian aid, placed on the West Bank in the lead up to Holocaust Remembrance Day, was opened on May 2, but may resume next week for Israel’s Memorial Day and 60th Independence Day celebrations, pending decisions by the defense establishment.
In a meeting with Barak on May 4, Rice discussed the removal of additional West Bank roadblocks. Rice’s previous March effort on roadblocks yielded inconclusive results.
Security
In coordination with Israel, approximately 600 Palestinian policemen deployed to Jenin on May 2 as part of operation “Smile and Hope.” This force is expected to work with the 150 person force already in Jenin, to combat crime and engage in counter-terrorism work in the militant stronghold. A Palestinian official stated that the forces would target criminals such as car thieves and confiscate illegal weapons. While not explictly acknowledging targeting of militants, officials said that the security force would be allowed to enter formerly off-limit areas, including Jenin’s volatile refugee camps.
The Palestinian security forces deployed in Nablus last year faced issues such as Israeli raids, restrictions on movement and Israel’s unwillingness to supply certain equipment to the security forces. Western officials hope these same problems will not arise in Jenin.
Unauthorized Outposts
Palestinian and Israeli protesters converged at an abandoned army post on April 24 to protest settlers taking over the site and setting up an illegal outpost. Israeli Defense Forces removed the protesters and reiterated that they also remove settlers who try to reach the area. On May 2, the Middle East Quartet (European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States) called on Israel to dismantle all outposts built since March 2001.
Settlements
The mayor of the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim is protesting the government’s unwillingness to provide more construction permits for settlements in the E-1 area, a key 11.9 square kilometer stretch of land located within the city’s boundaries. U.S. and Palestinian officials oppose construction in E-1, claiming that it would upset the contiguity of a future Palestinian state. On May 2, the Quartet pressed Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including an end to natural growth expansion.
Olmert recently stated that a letter President Bush previously exchanged with former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, gave Israel permission to expand settlements it hopes to keep in a final peace deal. Some assert that Secretary of State Rice reaffirmed this agreement in 2005 in the lead up to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. U.S. officials deny the existence of such an agreement. Israeli officials claim they still have guidance from the United States to continue with settlement expansion within designated areas.
Gaza
Last week, Egypt hosted representatives of 12 different Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), to discuss a truce in Gaza. Most groups indicated their support for the truce. The truce would include a cease-fire and be based on the Israeli-Palestinian crossings agreement of 2005. It would not apply to the West Bank at this stage. Israeli officials and the defense establishment are still considering their options, fearing the truce will allow militant groups in Gaza time to regroup for a new offensive and are also unhappy about the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing. The Jerusalem Post reported the possibility that Israel would tacitly but not officially accept the truce.
On May 5, Israeli officials indicated that they would delay a visit to Israel by Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman scheduled for later in the week. Suleiman was to present the Egyptian-sponsored ceasefire agreement, but Israeli authorities cited the lack of progress on the question of kidnapped Israeli solider Gilad Shalit and the continued arms smuggling into Gaza as reasons for delaying Suleiman’s visit.
During a recent meeting, the Quartet voiced concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but said that rocket attacks from Gaza must end before the Israeli blockade could be lifted. A UN report recently found that over the past three months sewage in Gaza has been pumped into the Mediterranean Sea in order to prevent it from overflowing in cities. The sewage is normally pumped to treatment sites, but the recent shortage of fuel in Gaza has disrupted the electricity supply. This shortage of electricity and lack of treatment materials has forced Gazan officials to pump the sewage into the sea.
Roadmap Monitoring Efforts
On May 2, General William Fraser, the U.S. envoy monitoring road map implementation, met resistance from right-wing Israelis during a visit to Hebron. The U.S. delegation eventually cut the visit short on account of the confrontation.
Economic Development Efforts
Private sector officials attended a conference in London from May 1-2, aimed at increasing international investment in Palestine. At the conference, Quartet Special Envoy Tony Blair said that there are ongoing discussions with Israeli authorities to aid the Palestinian economy, including opening the Allenby Bridge between Jordan and Israel for longer hours and increasing mobile phone competition.
After meeting on the sidelines of the London Conference, the Quartet called on Arab states to follow up on their political and financial pledges to the Palestinians made in support of the negotiations. According to U.S. figures, Arab League members have pledged $717.1 million in budget aid to the Palestinian government, but have only provided $153.2 million, all of which has come from Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This contrasts with other donors, mainly the United States and European Union, which have provided $502.1 million of the $834.9 million pledged.
The Palestinian government plans to host the Palestine Investment Conference from May 21-23 in Bethlehem in an attempt to showcase Palestine’s investment opportunities to the international community.
For previous updates on “Keeping Track of Commitments,” see the editions on April 21, April 11, March 26, March 14, February 27, and January 30.
