Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – “There is no agreement on any issue yet” between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. The two sides began talks today in order to come up with a joint declaration on regional peace ahead of next month's US-sponsored conference. However, their opening positions diverge dramatically. Meanwhile, Hamas said it would attend an Islamic Jihad-organised conference to be held in Syria in November to rival the US-sponsored international Middle East peace meet. Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal will participate in the conference, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Zuhri explained that the aim of the rival meeting “is to reaffirm our rights, including Jerusalem and refugees, and to reject any attempts to strip us of any of our rights, especially the attempt to do so at the international conference.”
Nothing was said concerning Syria’s eventual participation.
The meeting might also be an additional way for Damascus to put pressure. Bashar al-Assad said that his country would take part in the US-sponsored conference only if it was guaranteed the return of the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who arrived in Israel from Syria, told Israeli President Peres that he encouraged Syrian leaders to take part in the conference and that Syrian officials were openly interested in participating.
For their part Israelis and Palestinians remain far apart. In their October 3 meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Mahmoud Abbas did not address key issues—borders, the status of Jerusalem, refugees—leaving them for after the conference.
“We can say, ahead of the real discussions beginning between the negotiators, that there is no agreement on any issue yet,” chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurie said.
The main problem is that the Palestinians want concrete commitments as a basis for negotiations over the Palestinian state, whilst the Israelis want to stick to general statements
Olmert’s office said that their joint declaration will address essential issues in general terms.
