Palestinian Leader Rallies Regional Support, Dahlan and Mofaz Discuss about Israeli Pullout

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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been meeting Prince Abdullah in Jordan to rally support against Israeli plans to build a security wall. These talks come a day after US President George Bush met with the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and did not publicly oppose the continued construction of the barrier. It is a move analysts say will leave Abbas politically weaker. The embattled Palestinian leader struck a defiant note saying the barrier was an inhumane racist structure, not built to protect Israelis. Tel Aviv says it needs the wall separating it from the West bank to keep out Palestinian bombers, for Palestinians it amounts to a land grab. Half of the eight meter high concrete wall has already been built, and so far represents a 10 percent loss of West Bank territory. Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said Sharon's decision to push ahead with the wall came as no surprise. "To postpone the new wall of Berlin or to dismantle settlements or to allow the Palestinians to live as human beings is out of his interest." Zahar added it was in Bush's interest to garner the support of the American Jewish lobby in the run up to Presidential elections in 2004. **Mofaz, Dahlan Meet to Discuss Israeli Pullout*** Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz is to meet Wednesday with Palestinian Minister for State Security Mohammad Dahlan to discuss the handing over to the Palestinian Authority security responsibility for two additional Palestinian cities, Israel Radio reported. The two cities are presumed to be Jericho and Qalqilya. Meanwhile, Israeli security sources also confirmed Tuesday that Israel and the PA are discussing relocating Palestinians on the Israeli Army's wanted list to Jericho in exchange for an Israeli pledge not to arrest them. But the sides have not yet reached an official agreement. **PHOTO CAPTION*** An eight-meter high wall that is part of an Israeli security wall that will cut off the West Bank. (AFP/File/Sven Nackstrand)

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