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March 4, 2005/Adar I 23 5765, Volume 57, No. 27
Leaders seek momentum on Palestinian reform
DANIELLA PELED
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
LONDON - Three weeks after an Israeli-Palestiniancease-fire was declared, a conference here on Palestinian reform tried to add further momentum to a re-energized peace process.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on March 1, along with high-profile delegates from 23 countries and six international institutions.
Attendees included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the European Union high representative, Javier Solana.
Participants agreed to concrete measures that included commitments to improve Palestinian governance and security and also to build economic and social development. A 17-page concluding statement set out the Palestinian Authority's commitments to reform, while also urging Israel to take action to adhere to the "road map" peace plan.
Israel did not attend the one-day meeting, arguing that the summit's purpose was to deal only with internal Palestinian matters.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office expressed regret that there had not been sufficient condemnation of terror, particularly given the Feb. 25 suicide bombing that killed five Israelis and wounded dozens more.
"Israel thinks that all the leaders who participated in the conference should have emphasized that the Palestinians must fulfill their obligations to stop terror, and until then they will not be able to fulfill their national ambitions," the statement said.
Leaders at the meeting denounced the suicide attack, saying that such acts of violence would not be allowed to derail the revived peace talks.
Abbas said his administration was ready to exert "100 percent effort" to maintain security.
"I would like to stress that we as Palestinians are forging ahead with reordering our internal affairs and are committed to honoring our obligations under the road map," said Abbas.
"We have only one demand, and that is reciprocity in commitment based on the original text of the road map as presented by the Quartet," he said, referring to the document first put forth by the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.
Rice, speaking at the meeting, said reforms will "come to nothing" if terrorist attacks on Israel continue.
"The Palestinian Authority needs to reform its security institutions in order to fight terrorism and lawlessness effectively," she said, adding that the United States "is prepared to work with partners in the region and around the world to realize this essential goal."
She pressed the international community to encourage democratic reforms for the Palestinians, including the rule of law and an end to official corruption.
Blair, for his part, emphasized the importance of a contiguous, viable Palestine.
"What we have today is an agreement - not just on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which has got to usher in such a state, but also on behalf of the whole of the international community - as to the practical steps, the foundation stones necessary to create that viable state," he said.
The mood in London was upbeat.
"The results were as good as we could have hoped for, and we hoped for much," said a Labor member of Parliament, Lord Greville Janner, who is Jewish.
"People are working together at last for the common goal of peace. It's the beginning, but it will take an awfully long time."
The British Zionist Federation president, Eric Moonman, also welcomed the meeting, which he assessed as more than mere "handshakes and photo opportunities."
"I think it has been a positive conference," he said. "Mahmoud Abbas has come through as a very definite voice of reason and the really important factor now is what happens over the next few weeks and months. A good standard of living for the Palestinians means they will be less likely to step back into violence."
Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow in the Middle East program at the Chatham House think tank, said the Palestinians could feel satisfied with their achievements in London.
"The meeting can be regarded from the Palestinian point of view as a success, as they managed to engage the international community much more than they have done in the past," he said.
But he added that in this case, Palestinian triumph should not be seen as a loss for the Israelis.
"Any progress in reforming Palestinian institutions can only be beneficial for the cause of peace and therefore for Israel," he said.
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