By Aluf Benn

The American administration will present its plan for a "New Middle East," focusing on democratization and economic development in the Arab world, in a speech by Secretary of State Colin Powell on November 6, according to Israeli government sources who were briefed on the speech.

However, the sources said, Powell will refrain from directly criticizing existing Arab regimes and will not call for their replacement with democratic rule. Instead, he will speak of the need to make existing institutions more democratic by promoting women's rights, increasing freedom of the press, expanding economic and educational opportunities and making government more transparent.

Powell will also announce a new "economic partnership initiative" for the region, and will urge the establishment of a Middle East free trade zone.

The sources also said that based on reports that have reached the cabinet, U.S. President George W. Bush was sharply critical of Israel's policies in the territories during his meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last week. In particular, Bush was furious over Israel's recent siege of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Muqata headquarters in Ramallah, which, the president said, dealt a blow to an internal process of PA reform that had reached its height. He also slammed Israel Defense Forces operations in built-up areas, saying that civilian casualties did nothing to help Israel's security.

Israeli-PA meet

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, headed by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority Minister Saeb Erekat, met last night in Tel Aviv.

At the meeting, the Palestinians said they wanted to resume high-level security coordination. Currently, they said, the IDF goes in and out of Palestinian towns without even informing the PA, making it difficult to comply with Israel's demand that the authority itself assume responsibility for security. Peres promised to raise the matter with Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.

The Palestinians also requested humanitarian assistance, and the two sides agreed to work together to try to increase tourism to Bethlehem this Christmas.

But after the meeting, one participant, Communications Minister Reuven Rivlin, complained that the Palestinians "have still not internalized the idea that Israel will not conduct negotiations without far-reaching changes in the Palestinian leadership and an end to incitement."

Rivlin also told the Palestinians, who requested that all members of the Palestinian Legislative Council be allowed to attend the group's sessions in Ramallah, that 13 legislators suspected of terrorist activity will not be given travel permits.

General Haj Ismail, who commands one of the PA security services in the West Bank, charged at the meeting that prior to Israel's liquidation of Salah Shehadeh, a wanted Hamas terrorist, in July, "we had almost gotten Sheikh Ahmed Yassin [Hamas' spiritual leader] to publish a statement against violence." To this, Peres retorted: "That one always has peace declarations after the fact." At which point Erekat interjected: "Don't talk to us about Yassin. Talk to [former prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, who released him [from jail]."

Burns ends visit

Also yesterday, Assistant Secretary of State William Burns completed a round of talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on the proposed American "road map" for an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement.

Burns met yesterday with Sharon and Ben-Eliezer, and the defense minister told him that changes needed to be made in the "road map" to strengthen its security component.

While the plan contained many positive elements, Ben-Eliezer said, it had two major flaws. First, it imposes no specific demands on the Palestinians in the security realm, requiring only a general cease-fire declaration. Since no diplomatic progress will be possible without an end to terror, the minister said, it is necessary to demand action on this front instead of making do with "a meaningless declaration."

He also expressed reservations about the plan's call for a supervisory team composed of members of the "Quartet" - the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. Israel, he said, will not concede its right to defend its citizens and will not agree to any restrictions on this right.

Burns told the Israelis that both Jordan and Egypt have become despaired over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, convinced that Arafat is a failure and Sharon does not want peace.

At a later meeting with senior Palestinian officials, Burns delivered the message that they must take decisive action against terrorists and get serious about internal reform if they want to embark on the road to statehood.

"It is only through decisive action to end terror and violence and decisive action to reform in preparation for Palestinian statehood that we are going to be able to move ahead on a practical pathway to end occupation and this terrible conflict," Burns said after the Jericho meeting.

"In this process, all sides have obligations," he said. "And it's only through all sides fulfilling their obligations that we're going to be able to move ahead together to end the occupation that began in 1967 in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis, to end the very real suffering and humiliation the Palestinians experience under occupation every day, and to end the terror and violence which have done so much to undermine the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians."

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2002

Answers

Cleverly avoiding any talk about borders to this 'statehood' for Palestine.

That is the base issue. Palestine claims land that Israel claims, and vice versa.

Plus one other important fact. Both want the other one wiped off the face of the earth.

Fix those two issues, Mr. Burns, and you win the prize.

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2002