Us And Israel Agree Boycott Plan

[TriWooOx]

Quote:The US and Israel will not work with a new Palestinian unity government unless it recognises Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says.

He was speaking as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prepares for talks with Mr Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Mr Olmert says he and President Bush agreed on their position on Friday.

Hamas, the largest group in the proposed Palestinian unity government, refuses to recognise Israel.

Mr Olmert said that a Palestinian government that failed to accept conditions laid down by the quartet of the US, EU, Russia and UN "cannot receive recognition and there will not be co-operation with it," Reuters news agency reports.

The quartet has called on the Palestinians to recognise the state of Israel and give up violence against it.

"I spoke about this on Friday with the president of the United States, and I can tell you the Israeli and US positions are completely identical," Mr Olmert said in televised comments, Reuters says.

The EU, US and Russia have maintained an economic boycott of the Palestinian government since Hamas won legislative elections last year.

Ms Rice is holding separate meetings on Sunday with Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas before the three are due to get together on Monday.

After arriving in Israel, Ms Rice said it was an important time to advance the vision of a Palestinian state.

Mr Olmert's comments will add to doubts about whether the US will engage with a new Palestinian unity government.

Speaking after talks with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Ms Rice said now was "an important time to talk about how we advance the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and in freedom".

But she and Ms Livni both stressed that any new Palestinian coalition government must recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.

Many observers wonder whether the two embattled leaders, Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas, are strong enough to take the difficult steps towards peace, says the BBC's Bethany Bell in Jerusalem.

Moderation urged

Ms Rice arrived in Israel after a brief visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where she reviewed a new security plan intended to reduce violence in the city.

"I think that the moderates in the Palestinian side need to understand that a path towards a Palestinian state needs to go though renunciation of violence and terrorism and not by compromising with terror," said Ms Livni, after meeting the secretary of state.

Ms Rice said that the US would "await the formation of a [Palestinian] government before making any decisions about it".

"If one waited for the perfect time to come to the Middle East then one would never get on the airplane," she added.

On Thursday the Palestinian leader and Fatah chief asked former Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas to form a national unity government.

Factional fighting between Fatah and Hamas claimed more than 90 Palestinian lives between December and this month.

Conditions

Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel has led to a crippling ban on Western financial aid since the party won elections in January last year.

Mr Haniya now has five weeks to get a new cabinet accepted by the Hamas-dominated parliament.

But if Hamas maintains its position regarding Israel, there is concern that any talks brokered by Washington will be futile.

President Abbas has called for the new administration to be given a chance.

"We will say to the Americans and to the Israelis that they must give a chance to this government," said his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, after Mr Abbas met US Assistant Secretary David Welch, as part of preparations for Monday's summit.

As part of the power-sharing deal it was reported that Hamas had agreed to respect past Palestinian agreements that recognise Israel.

However, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says the Americans are expected to demand an explicit statement of recognition and a renunciation of violence.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_...372633.stm

[mothandrust]

Quote:The US and Israel will not work with a new Palestinian unity government unless it recognises Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says.

to my mind the rest of the world shouldn't work with Israel (or the US) unless it (they) recognise Palestine.