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Peace Process

Abbas prepares list of demands


By Ryan Jones
October 16, 2005

The Palestinian Authority at the weekend was carefully preparing its list of demands for Israel, optimistic that next week's summit between PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas and US President George W. Bush will result in renewed diplomatic pressure on the Jewish state.

When the two men meet in Washington on October 20, Abbas will tell Bush that if he wants his Road Map peace plan to have any hope of success, Israel must be made to accept numerous preconditions before the Arabs will comply with their commitments.

This despite the fact Israel last month more than proved its willingness to move towards a Palestinian Arab state on ancient Jewish lands by surrendering 100 percent of the Gaza Strip.

The laundry list Abbas intends to present to Bush includes a complete cessation of all construction in Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, and the removal of Israel's ?West Bank? security fence, senior ?Palestinian? negotiator Saeb Erekat told the PA-controlled International Press Center.

The PA also wants Israel to stop arresting ?Palestinian? terrorists who are planning and training to murder Jews, and to release those terrorists it has already jailed.

According to recent reports, the ?Palestinians? have reason to believe the Bush Administration will back their conditions and exert increased pressure on Jerusalem.

?Don't worry. I have some political sway with Israel and will use it if need be,? Bloomberg News quoted Bush as telling a PA delegation last week.

The American has repeatedly stated his goal of overseeing the birth of a Palestinian Arab state and the peace he believes that event will herald before the end of his presidency.

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