US envoy defies Israel by holding talks with Palestinian minister
The splits in the Quartet are becoming ever more apparent as even US officials are meeting with Palestinians, despite Olmert getting full cabinet approval to completely ignore the new unity Palestinian government.
Salam Fayyad, the moderate Finance minister, disclosed that he had held a meeting in Ramallah with Jacob Walles, the US consul general in Jerusalem.This comes at a time when Norway have already said that they will end their boycott of the Palestinians, a move that the EU seems eager to emulate.
Meanwhile, a number of European countries, including Britain, are arguing that the EU - of which Norway is not a member - should have contacts with a range of non-Hamas ministers and consider ways of co-ordinating aid with Mr Fayyad.It is quite clear that Olmert's plans to continually starve the Palestinians is not going to hold, despite the fact that the US will probably insist that it does so until the new unity government adheres to the three Israeli demands, including the ludicrous demand that the new authority "recognise" Israel.
Israeli officials have pointed to an incident on Monday when Hamas militants shot and wounded an Israeli electricity worker close to the Karni crossing into Gaza as fresh evidence for their contention that the international community should have nothing to do with the new government.Olmert is now beginning to sound desperate, as Americans may fall for that kind of tosh but the Europeans will have none of it.
Olmert, of course, has made perfectly clear that he has no intention of ever negotiating with the Palestinians, which is what this elaborate attempt to avoid any contact with the new regime is all about.
He's just lost round one. Round two is a long way off, but I'm very pleased to see that Europe is not making it any easier for him to avoid eventual negotiation.
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4 comments:
25% of ministers come from independant parties, neither Hamas nor Fatah and are in key ministeries:
Finance, Foreign affairs, interior, information. Meanwhile, Olmert and zionist supporters in the west are trying to turn attention to Darfur instead of waging another war on Lebanonm in order not to face another Palestinian positive turn ! Since when this government is a champion of human rights ?
I didn't realise the percentage was that high. How many of them are still languishing in Israeli jails I wonder? I honestly think Europe has had enough and expect Europeans to start resuming aid shortly.
The old Israeli hardline is simply not going to hold. The States maybe, but no way is Europe going to go along with this.
Kel, They are six independant and minor modrate parties, out of 25.
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