Bush urges Olmert, Abbas to 'seize the moment'

Middle East Features

Nov 27, 2007, 8:51 GMT

Washington - Israeli and Palestinian leaders haggled over a joint statement just hours before a US-hosted conference meant to restart peace talks. Saudi Arabia's top diplomat vowed not to shake hands with Israelis. And, yet, the key players sounded hopeful that they could make the gamble work. US President George W Bush, who has staked considerable prestige on Tuesday's gathering of more than 40 countries, prodded Israel and the Palestinians to set aside decades of enmity and seven years of peace-process stalemate. 'History is full of missed opportunities because people just look to the downside,' he told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in separate meetings Monday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Bush urged them to 'seize the moment.' Despite widespread pessimism in the region in the run-up, the mood on the eve of the Annapolis conference was cautiously upbeat, with Bush saying he was 'optimistic' it would be a success. Olmert said he hoped the conference, staged under stringent security at the US Naval Academy, 60 kilometres north-east of Washington, would 'launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians.' 'This time it's different,' he said, pointing to the broad participation and hinting at past peace talks held without such a display of wide international support. Even Abbas, who only weeks ago had said he would not attend the conference without the prospect of a major breakthrough, said he had a 'great deal of hope' that the conference would produce negotiations on 'all permanent status issues.' Already, the US has one important achievement - securing the participation of the Arab League, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, which committed to attend only days before the conference. Their participation is seen as crucial and as a diplomatic victory for Washington, the result of frantic, all-out lobbying by US diplomats, especially during the last three weeks. Such crucial Arab support was lacking when Israel and the Palestinians held their last serious negotiations in July 2000 at Camp David, and in January 2001 in Taba, Egypt. Saudi Arabia's support is critical because of its role as guardian of Islam's holiest sites. Without Saudi backing, no Palestinian leader can hope to make compromises on such issues as the status Jerusalem, claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians. Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was hesitant because 'we were fearful of failure,' but said he had confidence in Bush steering the peace process. 'One of the elements of optimism is the sense of determination of the United States to see this through,' al-Faisal told Time magazine, hours before his scheduled arrival in the United States. He urged the US to pressure Israel to compromise on issues such as freezing the construction of Jewish settlements in disputed territory in the West Bank. Al-Faisal will be the highest-ranking Saudi to attend any peace conference with Israel, but he has made it clear that he will not shake hands with the Israelis before a peace agreement. The other key measure of success is getting Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a final conference statement outlining a framework for peace talks. Hours before the conference, Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said that negotiators were working on the text and trying to bridge remaining 'difficulties.' Failure to agree would be a serious embarrassment, but by some accounts the two sides have narrowed their differences. Just a week ago, Israeli officials had warned that there might not be an agreed blueprint. Abbas and Olmert reiterated in their meetings with Bush that they want to strive for a solution during his presidency, which ends in January 2009, Perino said. Eisin said that the formal negotiations would begin in the Middle East 'very soon.' But with Hamas Islamic militants in control of the Gaza Strip - splitting the Palestinian camp - and the weak political standings of both Olmert and Abbas, the real challenges lie after Annapolis. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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PlobNov 29th, 2007 - 00:37:48

How about Israel stopping the Seizure first?

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orNov 29th, 2007 - 03:56:59

how about starting ww3 george? im sure he is trying too start it

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Join HumanityNov 29th, 2007 - 17:11:19

zeitgeistmovie.com/

Help yourself to this knowledge.

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SP4: Yeah....darned ol GWDec 2nd, 2007 - 00:25:30

GW is trying to start WW3 by having a peace conference....that snake...

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JakDec 2nd, 2007 - 17:12:49

Bushie is hoping for a big feather in his cap - not gonna happen!

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waine UKDec 5th, 2007 - 21:37:57

Bush urging Abass and Olmert is the biggest lay off yet. He only has to stop funding Israel with American tax dollars, there would be peace before Chrismas. What a conman.

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RealistDec 7th, 2007 - 19:32:54

or the EU, Arabs and US could stop funding the Pal's till they stop their terrorist ways, peace even sooner . .

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