Two Palestinian police cars waited for the gray bus that slowly engaged the Israeli army roadblock north of Ramallah.
With wailing sirens they accompanied the busload of Israeli visitors along a damaged, desolate road that has seen much fighting in the intifada's early days. Then they passed a short distance from a police station where, in October 2000, a mob lynched two Israeli reservists who had entered town by mistake.
Finally the convoy reached one of the town's many new buildings. Young non-nonsense looking Palestinians in black suits, index fingers close to the triggers of their Kalachnikov assault rifles, formed a corridor from the bus to a hall where the Geneva Initiative's Steering Committee was to meet.
The Israelis and Palestinians involved in that initiative have drafted a proposed peace agreement they have been trying to sell. However, despite having spent some $10 million according to one of the participants, they are yet to win critical support for it.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia walked in to an especially warm reception. The Israelis' leader, former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin who is usually a cold reserved person, touched cheeks with him three times. The Knesset's former Speaker Avraham Burg declared his happiness that, "at least one prime minister in the Middle East is my friend." Qureia, also known as Abu Ala, laughed.
The meeting soon turned somber as Abu Ala discussed his concerns and fears as the Israeli government heads for a unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank.
"We are afraid (of) ... unilateralism, " he said.
It means Israel decides "what the kind of solution (it) will accept and what (it) will impose on the other side. This nobody can accept," he stressed.
One of the questions presented to him soon exposed his suspicions of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"Do you think Sharon has changed since Arafat died?" an Israeli participant asked. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Authority president, passed away last November.
"Maybe he changed only the language
Canada goose jackets, (in) public," the Palestinian prime minister answered.
Look at what the Palestinians face on the ground
mbt schuhe kaufen, he said. Jerusalem is in Israeli hands surrounded by settlements and behind them, "are walls. ... Who can agree (to) the wall between a-Ram and Ramallah, a road that was constructed during the Ottoman Empire?"
Abu Ala focused on a high ugly gray barrier that Israel is building along the Jerusalem-Ramallah highway at a-Ram. It is part of the barrier Israel is constructing in and around the West Bank and it will divide that route. The western side will be considered part of Jerusalem, and thus in the Israeli-controlled area. The eastern side will come under the Palestinian Authority. Two lane roads are planned for each side.
"It's for security? Who would believe it?" Abu Ala maintained. He suspected Israel was trying to dictate the border that will eventually exist between it and the future Palestinian state.
"There is an illusion that (if) you build the wall, you will mark the border, (that just) as it is being decided (unilaterally) for Gaza and Jenin it will be decided later here for Jerusalem and other places. ... Nobody will receive (meaning accept) ... this attempt," he asserted.
Abu Ala lives in Abu Dis, about a mile east of Jerusalem. He said it used to take him five to 10 minutes to reach Jerusalem but now a wall blocks the old highway and, "I need more than two hours," for the journey.
At last month's summit meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, he raised the matter with Sharon.
"You built the wall," Sharon reportedly replied. Sharon blamed Palestinian militants' attacks for causing Israel to construct the huge barrier.
Abu Ala sighed. "Very good, I built this. ... (Still,) Nobody can accept this."
The good news was Israel's intention to withdraw, this summer from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank. More than 2,000 houses are there, he noted.
"Great. We welcome that. But at the same time, this year alone, they decided to build about 3,000 houses in Jerusalem. It's only 2,100 in Maaleh Adumim (southeast of Jerusalem, near Abu Dis) and ... in Givat Zeev (northeast of Jerusalem) and (in) other places there are about 900 (more).
"This is a swap? We talked in Taba (in 2000) about (a land) swap. Not in this way!" he said.
The swap discussed then foresaw Israel keeping West Bank settlement blocs in exchange for land it would provide from Israel proper. Maaleh Adumim and Givat Zeev are in the West Bank.
The settlement outposts Israel has built -- there are more than 100 of them, some on privately owned Palestinian land -- are "a very serious problem," he said. Sunday Sharon undertook to remove the 24 outposts established since he assumed power, in March 2001.
"In Sharm el-Sheikh we talked about a kind of CBMs, Confidence Building Measures," that would be carried out, including withdrawal from West Bank cities and release of prisoners, he recalled.
"Nothing is being implemented," he complained.
"I don't think this is the way to help (develop) confidence ... or to help your partners," he said.
Monday night, however, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian Interior and National Security Minister Nasser Yousef agreed that Jericho would revert to Palestinian authority Wednesday, Tul Karem next week, and preparations would be made for the transfer of Kalkilya
canada goose parkas, a source close to Mofaz told United Press International.
"Let me say frankly, (President) Abu Mazen and all his colleagues are in danger," Abu Ala continued. "If the Israeli government will not ... encourage him, I think it will be difficult. And even ... if he has the support from all the world, reality on the ground (will) remain as it is. ... The situation will remain difficult," he warned.
If it stays the same, "not encouraging, frustrating, (with) no hope, I think the radicals will be on the top," he continued. Palestinian parliamentary elections are due in July and the Islamic Hamas is running.
Last Friday thousands of unemployed Palestinians broke into the Legislative Council building in Gaza, damaged property, and demanded work so that they can feed their families. Almost half the Palestinians live below the official poverty line of $2.1 a day, according to the World Bank.
The demonstration sent "a strong, very dangerous message ... the most dangerous message. ... It may not stay there only. It may cover more (areas)," Abu Ala warned.
The Palestinians wanted to get down to negotiating the final settlement that should lead to the establishment of a viable independent state.
"The only (Israeli-Palestinian) agreement that can be guaranteed by the people of both sides and the only agreement that can survive ... is the agreement that comes through negotiations," Abu Ala insisted.
"In months we can finish (preparing it.) We don't need years," he said.
To Israelis who felt that was rather optimistic, he said, "Each side knows the fallback position of the other side."
Israelis and Palestinians have been talking to each another for 15 years. "What has been achieved in the past -- call it whatever you want intellectual exercise or a kind of negotiations ... can help us start from there and ... see what we can reach."
He blamed Israel for stalling. The Israelis have "the power on the ground (and) think that the (Palestinian) fallback position may be changed. It will not be changed!" he asserted.
Sharon maintains progress should be very slow and careful. He refuses to launch political negotiations before the Palestinian Authority crushes militants and their infrastructure.
Sharon reiterated that attitude Sunday at a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Authority must fulfill its "roadmap" commitments
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"Up until now the Palestinians have not taken enough steps to dismantle the infrastructures of terrorism. ... Without genuine action by the Palestinians against terrorism, it will be impossible to move anything forward," his spokesman reported him as having said.
In Ramallah, Palestinians feared a successful Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip would encourage Sharon to use that model in parts of the West Bank.
"This is very dangerous," said former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo. "Such a solution will lead only to the final cantonization of the West Bank."
Israelis dread renewed tension after this summer's withdrawal is completed. Sharon will not agree to permanent status negotiations because he is not ready to pay the price for it, Beilin told Abu Ala.
Geneva Initiative people tried to persuade Abu Ala to formally endorse it. They maintain they showed what kind of an agreement is possible -- so let him take the initiative and set the agenda.
Abu Ala dodged. He would not discuss the text, he maintained.
"You are the author of the text
Moncler," said Abed Rabbo.
Abu Ala laughed.
"Our side gave enough support. President Arafat sent his representative to Geneva (when it was launched). ... Sometimes you make an initiative and want the other side to buy (it). Not close the door (on it)," he said.
He cannot accept the initiative "unilaterally," he added.
A Palestinian spokesman for the Geneva Initiative said Abu Ala thus indicated his support for the initiative but felt that if he would say so clearly
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