[GushShalom] "Cooperation with Hamas conditional upon end to suicide attacks" says Arafat to Gush Shalom delegation

[Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)]

GUSH SHALOM (Israeli Peace Bloc)
pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org/

Press release, April 10 2004

Hebrew at request 
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"Cooperation with Hamas is conditional upon an end to suicide attacks" 
says Arafat to Gush Shalom delegation in an hours-long meeting in which 
possibilities for the future were assessed.
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"Any Hamas participation in the administration of the Gaza Strip after a 
possible Israeli evacuation or any other partnership with that 
organization is dependent upon the Hamas leadership agreeing to totally 
stop suicide attacks" said Palestinian Authority President Arafat to a 
visiting Israeli peace delegation. "In our dialogue with Hamas, which was 
initiated via the mediation of the Egyptians, we have made absolutely 
clear that harming civilians is unacceptable."

A Gush Shalom delegation had come to visit the mostly ruined Presidential 
Compound in Ramallah, West Bank. The group had to evade Israeli army 
roadblocks to enter Ramallah, defying the Sharon government's prohibition 
upon entry of Israeli citizens into Palestinian areas. The initiative to 
meet Arafat was taken upon the explicit threat to the life of Arafat made 
last week by Prime Minister Sharon. In spite of the critical situation 
the hours-long meeting in which possibilities for the future were 
assessed took place in a spirited mood. 

"We are aware of your historical role in the Palestinian national 
movement. Moreover, we are aware that you are the only one on the 
Palestinian side who could sign and implement a peace agreement with 
Israel" former Knesset Member and dialogue-pioneer Uri Avnery told 
Arafat. "In previous times when Sharon made such threats and the danger 
seemed real we have come to Ramallah to deter the prime minister and let 
him know that there are Israeli citizens here. That's what we also will 
do now."

"Sharon threatens to kill me, but he sent his son to meet me. Omri Sharon 
sat and talked with me here in this room" said Arafat. "I rather like 
Omri Sharon. He is good guy and open-minded. Also after Sharon put me 
under siege in 2002 and his soldiers destroyed most of the compound 
around here, nevertheless he sent Omri again. And I also remember the Wye-
River Conference [1998]. Sharon and Netanyahu sat across the table from 
me, like you are sitting now, and President Clinton in the middle. We 
argued and bargained, and in the end we made a deal. We can do that also 
now, I am willing to meet both of them even tomorrow morning."

Saeb Erekat, Palestinian Minister for Negotiation Affairs who also took 
part in the meeting, added: "Sharon, then Israel's Foreign Minister, was 
the spirit of the Wye Conference. He came up with all kind of creative 
ideas to help reach an agreement. Now he is paralyzing negotiations 
totally and cutting off the channels of communication. A month ago I met 
with his Bureau Chief Dov Weisglas. Since then, no contact whatsoever. 
How does he intend to carry out a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without 
coordinating it with us? How does he evacuate settlements without the 
Palestinian Security Forces on hand to prevent attacks on the evacuating 
settlers? Does he want the Gaza Strip to become the arena of a civil war, 
a chaos of gangs and militias? Look what is happening now in the West 
Bank cities. Sharon has destroyed the Palestinian police stations and 
disbanded our forces. Look what is happening now in Nablus for example, 
total chaos. Is this to the benefit of Israel?"

Historian Teddy Katz, member of the Gush Shalom executive asked the 
Palestinian leaders about their view on Sharon's 'Disengagement Plan.'
"I have grave doubt whether Sharon is serious about it, about the 
dismantling of all the settlements there. But we as Palestinian 
leadership should be ready for all eventualities, in order to further the 
interests of our people." 

Uri Avnery remarked: "I think Sharon, like a good general, made a plan 
which could in two ways. In the best way from his point of view, he would 
not have to carry out anything, just spend a year talking about it, and 
meanwhile build the wall and the settlements. In the lesser option, he 
would have to go through with it, but still it would be part of his 
objective, to give the Gaza Strip in order to keep the bulk of the West 
Bank."

"Of course we are aware of Sharon's plans for the West Bank" said Saeb 
Erekat. "Withdrawal from Gaza of the overall Road Map is acceptable to 
us, and we regard it positively. Withdrawal from Gaza asa replacement for 
the Road Map, which is accompanied by Israel biting off large parts of 
the West Bank annexing settlement blocs to Israel is totally 
unacceptable. We told the Americans that they can define the borders of 
the United States. The Americans said that they are bound by the Road Map 
and by President Bush' vision of the two-states solution."

Arafat revealed that the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin had proposed 
to Egyptian President Sadat to hand over the Gaza Strip to Palestinian 
rule. "Sadat phoned, and passed on Begin's proposal, but I said that I 
would not agree to separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank." Saeb 
Erekat: "The Gaza Strip cannot maintain itself even for a short time 
separately from the West Bank. The Gaza Strip now provides only 18% of 
the GNP, but 52% of our resources are invested in it because it is the 
poorest and most neglected part of the Palestinian Territory."

Erekat added: "It is our intention to link up Israeli withdrawal from 
Gaza with elections in all the Palestinian Territory - presidential, 
parliamentary and municipal elections. That is the only way to stop the 
chaos and the militia rule and reestablish an effective and legitimate 
government. Of course elections require the exit of the Israeli army from 
the Palestinian towns and villages. How can you hold elections when a 
foreign army can go in at any moment, arrest candidates, break up 
election rallies, or just prevent voters and election workers from 
passing from one place to another. We tried to have elections back in 
January 2003, but the occupation did not let us even get as far as voter 
registration. We will take it up again now. We already approached former 
President Jimmy Carter, who headed the international monitors during our 
elections of 1996, and he is willing to do it again."

For more information:
Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603

For photos:
http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html