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Condi Rice with Abbas and a photo of the Rais (AP file photo)
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| By israelinsider staff and partners September 21, 2005 |
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Key Mideast figures praised the "political courage" of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Tuesday in welcoming the successful Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a key step toward lasting peace. The self-appointed peacemaking group known as The Quartet made no specific new demands on Israel to capitalize on momentum from the Gaza withdrawal, but United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that eventually Israel must take similar actions in Judea and Samaria, on the "West Bank" of the Jordan River.
"What happens in the West Bank is very much on our mind," Annan told reporters after the meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. "For us, the quartet, it is Gaza first and then the next stage will be the West Bank. Not Gaza first and Gaza last," he said.
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"There is a fundamental contradiction between armed activities and the political process, and I think we have to give the Palestinians some room for the evolution of their political process."
Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State
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At the same time, Annan signaled a pause in major international peace efforts ahead of Palestinian elections scheduled for January and what he called "political developments" in Israel, a reference to Sharon's fight to hold on to his job against challenges from the right and left.
"Obviously, we are monitoring these events very closely, and would want to see that settled before one takes any other bold initiatives," Annan said.
In a statement, the quartet -- the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia -- "paid tribute to the political courage of Prime Minister Sharon and commends the Israeli government, its armed forces and its police for the smooth and professional execution of the operations."
The group also thanked the Palestinian Authority for "responsible behavior" in containing violence during the withdrawal.
The congratulatory mood has been tempered by border chaos in Gaza and Israeli's new demand that the terror group Hamas be barred from the upcoming Palestinian elections.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seemed to agree with Sharon, but urged patience for the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"There is a fundamental contradiction between armed activities and the political process," Rice said, but democracy is still developing in the Palestinian territories, "and I think we have to give the Palestinians some room for the evolution of their political process."
Ahead of the meeting, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose nation holds the EU presidency, praised the relatively smooth exit of Israeli troops and settlers after 38 years, then ticked off a long list of open questions: The security capacity of the Palestinian Authority; the fate of a seaport and airport in Gaza; questions of how the Gaza will be connected to the larger West Bank, which sits on the other side of Israel.
"And that's just the easy business," Straw said ahead of Tuesday's meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. "We've then in the "West Bank" area got the issue of the extension of settlements."
The U.S. administration downplayed hopes for a major statement of progress from Tuesday's session.
"They will talk about Gaza, and the way forward," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday. He would not elaborate on the group's agenda for capitalizing on Israel's withdrawal, other than to say the momentum will help the U.S.-backed peace program known as the Road Map.
The Roadmap calls for a freeze on Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, and the dismantlement of more than 100 unauthorized settlement outposts there. European diplomats and others are eager to push Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to move quickly in the "West Bank," but the Bush administration has made no loud demands of Israel.
AP contributed to this report.
Following is the full Quartet statement (source), which stops short of calling for the disarming of militant Palestinian groups:
Quartet Statement
New York , 20 September 2005
Representatives of the Quartet - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, High Representative for European Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner - met today in New York to discuss the Gaza disengagement and the prospects for movement towards peace in the Middle East.
The Quartet recognizes and welcomes the successful conclusion of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank and the moment of opportunity that it brings to renew efforts on the Roadmap. The Quartet reiterates its belief that this brave and historic decision should open a new chapter on the path to peace in the region. It paid tribute to the
political courage of Prime Minister Sharon and commends the Israeli government, its armed forces and its police for the smooth and professional execution of the operation. It also expresses its appreciation for the responsible behavior of the Palestinian Authority and people for helping maintain a peaceful environment during the evacuation. The Quartet applauds the close coordination between the Israeli and Palestinian security services
during the process. These significant developments create new opportunities and call for renewed focus on the responsibilities of all parties. The conclusion of disengagement represents an important step toward achieving the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security.
The Quartet commends continued cooperation between both parties and the U.S. Security Coordinator, General William Ward, on security issues related to the disengagement. The Quartet calls for an end to all violence and terror.
While the PA leadership has condemned violence and has sought to encourage Palestinian groups who have engaged in terrorism to abandon this course and engage in the democratic process, the Quartet further urges the Palestinian Authority to maintain law and order and dismantle terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. The Quartet reaffirms the continued importance of comprehensive reform of the Palestinian security services. The rule of law
through authorized security institutions is fundamental to democratic practice. The Quartet expresses appreciation to those parties which have made contributions to the security reform effort, particularly Egypt , the European Union, and the United States . Finally, the Quartet welcomes the agreement between the Governments of Israel and Egypt on security
arrangements along the Gaza-Egypt border.
At today's meeting, Quartet Special Envoy Wolfensohn's report on his current efforts and initiatives was discussed. The Quartet encourages his further work to facilitate continued discussion between the parties to build on the success of disengagement. The Palestinian Authority should demonstrate its ability to govern, and all members of the international community should look for ways to support these efforts. The Quartet will continue to lead
international efforts to support sustainable growth of the Palestinian economy and to strengthen the overall capacity of the Palestinian Authority to assume its responsibilities through an aggressive pursuit of state building and democratic reform efforts. Given the critical importance of free movement in the West Bank to the viability of the Palestinian economy, the Quartet urges an easing of the system of movement restrictions, consistent with Israel 's security needs. The Quartet reaffirms that coordinated action by the international donor community is crucial for the success of the Quartet Special Envoy's Quick Impact Economic Program, as well as for the longer term three year plan for Palestinian development. In this regard, it notes the importance of the $750 million in assistance which
will be disbursed to the Palestinian Authority during the remainder of this year. The Quartet urges Arab states to implement existing commitments and to engage fully and positively in response to the Special Envoy's initiatives. To ensure the success of this effort, the Quartet views continued progress on institutional reform of the Palestinian Authority, as well as progress in combating corruption, as essential. The Quartet also welcomes the announcement of Palestinian Legislative Council elections and upcoming municipal elections.
Looking beyond disengagement, the Quartet reviewed progress on implementation of the Roadmap. The Quartet calls for renewed action in parallel by both parties on their obligations in accordance with the sequence of the Roadmap. As part of the confidence-building process the Quartet urged both sides to return to the cooperative agenda reached at Sharm el-Sheikh. Contacts between the parties should be intensified at all levels. The Quartet charges the Envoys to keep progress under review.
Both parties are reminded of their obligations under the Roadmap to avoid unilateral actions which prejudice final status issues. The Quartet reaffirms that any final agreement must be reached through negotiation between the parties and that a new Palestinian state must be truly viable with contiguity in the West Bank and connectivity to Gaza . On settlements,
the Quartet welcomed the fact that, in areas covered by disengagement, Israel has gone beyond its obligations under the first phase of the Roadmap.
The Quartet expresses its concern that settlement expansion elsewhere must stop, and Israel must remove unauthorized outposts. The Quartet continues to note with concern the route of the Israeli separation barrier, particularly as it results in the confiscation of Palestinian land, cuts off the movement of people and goods, and undermines Palestinians' trust in the Roadmap process as it appears to prejudge the final borders of a Palestinian state.
The Quartet members exchanged views on the Russian proposal to hold an international meeting of experts in Moscow . Contacts on this matter will continue, taking into consideration the need to give attention to the various aspects of the Middle East situation, including multilateral matters.
The Quartet reiterates its commitment to the principles outlined in previous statements, including those of May 4, 2004 , May 9, 2005 , and June 23, 2005 , and reaffirms its commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict based upon U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
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