WEST BANK: ABBAS HOLDS FIRST PLO MEETING WITH MILITANT FACTIONS, CALLS ON ISRAEL TO HALT SETTLEMENT EXPANSION.
Record ID:
566237
WEST BANK: ABBAS HOLDS FIRST PLO MEETING WITH MILITANT FACTIONS, CALLS ON ISRAEL TO HALT SETTLEMENT EXPANSION.
- Title: WEST BANK: ABBAS HOLDS FIRST PLO MEETING WITH MILITANT FACTIONS, CALLS ON ISRAEL TO HALT SETTLEMENT EXPANSION.
- Date: 29th March 2005
- Summary: (W3) GAZA (MARCH 29, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV: PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS CONVENING PLO (PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION) EXECUTIVE MEETING, INCLUDING LEADERS FROM ISLAMIC JIHAD 0.03 2. CU: CLOSE OF ABBAS 0.07 3. CU: CLOSE OF ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER MOHAMMED AL-HINDI 0.12 4. GV: MEETING IN PROGRESS 0.17 5. MV/PAN: PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS SITTING NEXT TO AL-HINDI 0.22 6. GV: MEETING IN PROGRESS 0.27 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER MOHAMMED AL HINDI, SAYING: "Now we are going to decide on the general lines (which will be discussed between the factions), including a charter and other issues. These are important issues such as, the mechanism, the charter and the way the PLO would be built to contain all the Palestinian political factions. This is only a primary meeting, and this process will take time and effort. But today we will start discussing the the first issue to ensure what has been agreed upon in Cairo, and to set a date for an additional meeting based on the agreements reached at this meeting." 1.00 8. MV: SECURITY GUARDS 1.05 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SALIM AL-ZANUN, HEAD OF PALESTINIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL SAYING: "There are developments and new facts on the ground. Palestinians' well being, encourages us to join together all of those who during this period put efforts to ensure Palestinian rights, all of those must sit around one table in order for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) - which was exclusively legitimised by Arab countries in 1974 - along with members of the Palestinian people, including brothers of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to discuss future plans which connect everybody through the PLO." 1.50 10. GV: EXTERIOR OF BUILDING 1.59 (W3) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MARCH 29, 2005) (REUTERS) 11. GV: EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER AHMED QURIE'S OFFICE 2.05 12. GV/MV: QURIE CONVENING CABINET (2 SHOTS) 2.11 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QURIE SAYING: "We appeal to the world, mainly to the United States that legitimises the settlement blocs, to realise what kind of settlement blocs that Israel plans to keep and to realise what will remain for the Palestinian state and what will remain for viable state if such settlement blocs are kept." 2.33 14. GV: VARIOUS OF MEETING (2 SHOTS) 2.41 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: GAZA/ RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVABQMWXV6Y8ESR0S6FZW5AO5Q85
- Story Text: Abbas holds first PLO meeting with militant
factions, Qurie calls on Israel to halt settlement
expansion.
The Islamic Jihad militant group attended the
Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive meeting
in Gaza, the first joint ranked meeting, on Tuesday (March
29).
Islamic Jihad has long objected joining the mainstream
PLO in opposition because of the group's peace moves with
Israel, but recently softened their stance and agreed to a
temporary halt of attacks against the Jewish state.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, seeking to cement
the March 17 truce, agreed with members of Islamic Jihad to
extend their dialogue by having the group participate at
the meeting in Gaza city.
Palestinian officials said that PLO would consider a bid
to let militant group join the organisation.
"There are developments and new facts on the ground.
Palestinians' well being encourages us to join together all
of those who during this period put efforts to ensure
Palestinian rights, all of those must sit around one table
in order for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) -
which was exclusively legitimised by Arab countries in 1974
- along with members of the Palestinian people, including
brothers of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to discuss future
plans which connect everybody through the PLO," said Salim
al-Zanun, Head of Palestinian National Council.
The militant group of Hamas, whose prominent role in a
four and a half year uprising against Israel has enhanced
its popularity, announced plans to run in a legislative
poll in July after boycotting the first Parliamentary
elections in 1996.
Islamic Jihad has yet to decide whether to run along
with Hamas in the July polls.
The PLO, the main governing body of the Palestinian
people, was founded by the late Yasser Arafat in the early
1960's and has sought to achieve Palestinian statehood in
territories captured by Israel.
Israel has demanded that Abbas be tougher with the
militants and disarm them, particularly Hamas and Islamic
Jihad whose members have killed more than 400 Israelis in
suicide bomb attacks in the past five years.
But Israel has also welcomed the truce reached in Cairo
which cemented a ceasefire declared jointly by Abbas and
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last month in Egypt.
In Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie
addressed his cabinet members at the weekly meeting, where
he appealed to the international community to urge Israel
to halt settlement expansion.
"We appeal to the world, mainly to the United States
that legitimises the settlement blocs, to realise what kind
of settlement blocs that Israel plans to keep and to
realise what will remain for the Palestinian state and what
will remain for viable state if such settlement blocs are
kept," Qurie told cabinet ministers in Ramallah.
Qurie's comments came after U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice said that Washington is sticking to its
support for Israel's intention to retain large West Bank
settlement blocs in a final peace deal with the
Palestinians.
Rice made the comments, reaffirming a public pledge
U.S. President George W. Bush gave to Sharon last April.
Bush's commitment, which broke with decades of U.S. policy,
angered the Palestinians who seek all of the West Bank as
part of a future independent state.
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