WEST BANK/ISRAEL: U.S. ENVOY ANTHONY ZINNI MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS IN RAMALLAH/ PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON SAYS ISRAEL WILL EVENTUALLY RECOGNISE A PALESTINIAN STATE IF FORMED UNDER A PEACE AGREEMENT

Record ID: 400379

  • Title: WEST BANK/ISRAEL: U.S. ENVOY ANTHONY ZINNI MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS IN RAMALLAH/ PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON SAYS ISRAEL WILL EVENTUALLY RECOGNISE A PALESTINIAN STATE IF FORMED UNDER A PEACE AGREEMENT
  • Date: 29th November 2001
  • Summary: (U5) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 29, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV: U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY ANTHONY ZINNI ENTERING TALKS WITH CHIEF OF PALESTINIAN DELEGATION AHMED KOREI ALONG WITH DELEGATIONS FROM EACH SIDE 0.15 2. SV: KOREI SHAKING HANDS WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIAL 0.27 PICTURE AND SOUND OUT OF SYNC ON SHOT BELOW 3. SCU: SOUNDBITE (
  • Embargoed: 14th December 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK AND TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVADY9IE34TIVZLBOXZKMFQHLDNJ
  • Story Text: U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni has met with Palestinian
    officials during his mission to the Middle East in attempt to
    get both sides to lay down their arms and start implementing
    an agreed ceasefire.

    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said that Israel would
    eventually recognise a Palestinian state if it was formed
    under a peace agreement.



    The United States, keen to maintain Arab support for
    its anti-terror coalition, has heightened its involvement in
    efforts to end the Middle East conflict on Thursday (November
    29).

    However, new violence near Jerusalem and in the Gaza
    Strip, where Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man,
    underlined the problems peace envoy Zinni faces. His initial
    talks this week with Sharon and Palestinian President Yasser
    Arafat brought no breakthrough.

    Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man at a West Bank
    checkpoint on Thursday in new violence which has marred a
    fresh U.S. truce drive to end 14 months of Israeli-Palestinian
    bloodshed.

    In a separate incident, Israeli sources said two Israelis
    were shot and wounded by Palestinian gunmen near Baqaa
    al-Sharqiya on the border between Israel and the West Bank.

    Sharon said ahead of a trip to the United States that
    Israel could accept a future Palestinian state, but insisted
    on seven days of calm before a truce-to-talks plan can take
    effect.

    Sharon signalled no change in Israel's approach to the
    conflict in his comments at an annual meeting with editors,
    hours before his scheduled departure for the United States,
    where he is due to meet President George W. Bush on Monday
    (December 3).

    Sharon's vision falls far short of Palestinian aspirations
    for a state on all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip with Arab
    East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel occupied these lands in
    the 1967 Middle East war.

    The United States, the key international player in the
    conflict, has also said it would accept a Palestinian state.

    The Palestinians say Sharon's demand is unrealistic and
    accuse him of delaying an end to a conflict in which at least
    727 Palestinians and 192 Israelis have been killed since a
    Palestinian uprising flared in September 2000.

    Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters
    journalists:
    "Unfortunately today we have seen again Mr Sharon trying
    to undermine Zinni's mission and Zinni's efforts by insisting
    on the seven days conditionality, by trying to separate
    between political issues and security issues. I believe Mr
    Sharon is going to Washington and it's time for President Bush
    to tell Mr Sharon what he should hear and (not) what he likes
    to hear."
    Arafat urged Zinni on Wednesday (November 28) to draw up a
    mechanism and timeline to implement the Tenet and Mitchell
    plans. He said he was exerting 100 percent effort to make
    these efforts succeed in order to get a comprehensive and
    lasting peace.

    Sharon reiterated demands for Arafat to arrest militants,
    dismantle their organisations and disarm them.



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