Bush says 'time right for talks'

27/11/2007| IslamWeb

Opening the Middle East conference in Annapolis, George Bush has announced a joint agreement among Israeli and Palestinian leaders to reach a peace pact by the end of 2008.

Negotiations would begin within weeks to establish "a democratic Palestinian state that will live side by side with Israel in peace and security", he said on Tuesday.

"Today, Palestinians and Israelis each understand that helping the other to realise their aspirations is the key to realising their own, and both require an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state," Bush said.

"Such a state will provide Palestinians with the chance to lead lives of freedom, purpose and dignity. And such a state will help provide Israelis with something they have been seeking for generations: to live in peace with their neighbours."

The first peace talks are to be held on December 12, Bush said, and are to continue biweekly after that.

He was followed at the podium in the Memorial Hall of the naval academy by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister.

Months of diplomacy

The first major Israeli-Palestinian conference in seven years got under way on Tuesday in Annapolis in the state of Maryland after months of diplomacy.

More than 40 countries and organisations are attending the conference, including Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Bush hopes the conference can prepare the way for a peace deal between Palestinians and the Israelis and the establishment of a Palestinian state by the end of his second term of office.

But many Middle East politicians and demonstrators have said the talks have little chance of success.

Earlier, Bush said he was "optimistic" there would be progress in Tuesday's talks, although "difficult compromises" were necessary on both sides.

Gaza reaction

Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "Here ... people are living under siege [with] air strikes and tanks shells fired into Gaza in the last 24 hours, and they feel what is happening in the US has nothing to do with them at all.

"Palestinians are sick and tired and feeling pessimistic.

"They feel they have no future of Gaza and they need to get out, but they cannot, because they are locked in by Israel."

Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Annapolis, said that clarity was lacking about what the parties are hoping to get out of this conference.

"We're not really certain what will come out of Annapolis ... There isn't even an agreement on the framework between Palestinians and Israelis," she said.

"They haven't been able to agree on what they will discuss in Annapolis or what they will do the day after Annapolis which many people are saying is more important than Annapolis itself.

Agreement unlikely

Politicians told Al Jazeera little would come of Annapolis.

Mustafa Barghouti, the former Palestinian information minister, said Annapolis was "deja vu" and it was unlikely any real agreement would be reached "as long as there is no serious pressure on Israel to end occupation ... and be forced to respect international law".

PHOTO CAPTION

Mahmoud Abbas, George W Bush and Ehud Olmert