Israel is insisting on a halt to terror activities, including
Hamas, before moving ahead with the road map. Israel will not
transfer even limited security control to the Palestinians as
long as the Hamas continues to carry out terror attacks,
according to a senior Israeli security official. At the same
time, international pressure is being brought to bear on
Hamas, as the European Union discussed whether to outlaw the
Hamas political wing. Its military wing has long been
blacklisted.
On Monday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won Knesset approval
for a policy statement on the road map, focusing on its anti-
terrorism aspects. Several National Union MKs did not attend
the session, while the National Religious Party's Yitzhak
Levy walked out. Several Likud MKs, including Binyamin
Netanyahu, Gila Gamliel, Naomi Blumenthal, and Avraham
Herschson, did not take part in the vote.
Sharon said Israel would not be able to reach a peace
agreement as long as "terrorism is running rampant." He vowed
that Israel would go on fighting terrorism as long as it
continues, adding that the "war on terrorism aims to bring
peace." He added that the road map is not an agreement with
anyone and thus does not need Knesset approval. Sharon
reiterated that after terrorism and incitement come to a
halt, his government would be willing to make "very painful
concessions."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told the Knesset that the PA
must uproot incitement and the terrorist infrastructure. He
noted that it can stop incitement whenever it chooses.
At the same time, the US is stepping up its mediation
efforts. The Bush administration is holding talks with senior
Israeli officials and may send U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell to Israel on Friday. US President George Bush, engaged
in his most intensive effort to resolve the long-running
Middle East crisis, is leaving most of the detail work to
Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice. Powell
will anyway fly to Jordan this week for an economic
conference.
"The president's message is that the best security comes from
the Israelis and Palestinians working together to fight
terror," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. "There are
threats to the Israelis, threats to the Palestinians. They
come principally from Hamas and from the other groups of a
rejectionist nature."
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said a cease-fire
between Hamas and Israel would be a useful initial step.
"Hamas is clearly an obstacle to peace," he said.
Israel Radio reported on Monday that Shin Bet chief Avi
Dichter arrived secretly in Washington, for consultations "at
the request of the US Administration, in order to explain
Israel's security qualms and demands."
Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf arrived in Jerusalem
last weekend to promote the road map. Wolf had little to say
to the press, saying that his orders are to work with the
sides to reach an agreement.
Egypt has also been mediating, but its envoys failed on
Monday to achieve a cease-fire agreement with Hamas.
Hamas has defied the Palestinian Authority and rejected the
road map. It claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing
in Jerusalem last week that murdered 17.
The Bush administration had criticized Israel for trying to
assassinate a Hamas leader early last week, but trained its
sights on Hamas in the wake of the Jerusalem bombing.
Hamas leaders said Monday that they are still not prepared to
accept a cease-fire, and said they would pursue terrorist
attacks until all their conditions are met. "Cease-fire means
surrender to occupation," Hamas's Ismail Abu Shanab said.
Islamic Jihad also denied reports in the Palestinian media
that a cease-fire agreement is imminent.
Palestinian sources said Hamas and Islamic Jihad demanded
international guarantees for a halt to Israeli air strikes on
their leaders before they would agree to stop their terrorist
attacks. They also demanded the release of all Palestinian
prisoners.
PA officials continued to express optimism about a temporary
cease-fire. Arafat said that Marwan Barghouti would soon be
released but he provided no source for this assertion.
In European Union deliberations, British Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw called for an international crackdown on Hamas,
saying that Hamas was literally trying to blow up the Middle
East peace process.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin made a
distinction between "mass movements" and "terrorists" and
argued that Hamas remained a necessary player in the peace
process. De Villepin also urged Hamas to make more efforts in
ending terrorist acts from Palestinian militants. "We call on
Hamas to demonstrate that they are against all terrorist
activities," he said.
The EU has already listed Izz a-Din al-Qassam, Hamas'
military wing, as a terrorist organization. It will do the
same to its political wing unless Hamas backs the peace
process and abandons suicide bombings, said Greek Foreign
Minister George Papandreou, who presided over the EU
meeting.
