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Palestinian Arabs

PA scrambles to resist growing pressure


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
August 28, 2005

Amid mounting pressure from Washington, the Palestinian Authority this week ?explained? why it would not be reciprocating Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and northern Samaria by finally honoring its commitment to fight terrorism.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, US President George W. Bush praised Israel for cleansing Gaza and northern Samaria of Jews, and said the onus was now on the PA to prove itself a worthy peace partner.

?Now that Israel has withdrawn, the way forward is clear. The Palestinians must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way,? said Bush.

PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia responded by saying the president's comments were contradictory to the US-backed Road Map peace plan, and insisted the process required more immediate Israeli concessions.

He also pointed to ongoing Israeli construction between Jerusalem and the suburb of Ma'aleh Adumim, as well as a five percent increase in the Jewish population in Judea and Samaria over the past year.

The growing Jewish presence and building of Jewish homes would justify ongoing ?Palestinian? aggression against Israel, warned Qureia.

In an interview with Israel Radio Saturday, PA ?president? Mahmoud Abbas refused to promise to disarm terrorist organizations in accordance with the Road Map and other signed agreements.

?I do not give commitments that I am not certain I can honor,? Abbas said.

At any rate, said Abbas, ?After the [Palestinian] elections [in January 2006] and the formation of a government and parliament in which all factions participate no one will act outside the framework of the PA.?

Abbas has suggested in the past that his inclusion of Hamas and other terror groups in the ?PA framework? should satisfy demands to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.

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