from the Jerusalem Post
'Geneva Accord' Palestinians called to US for talks
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Khaled Abu Toameh Oct. 19, 2003
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Three senior Fatah leaders, one of whom helped reach a deal with Israeli opposition figures last week, were to leave for Washington early Sunday for urgent talks with top US officials, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The invitation, which came as a surprise to the Fatah officials, was extended on Saturday evening. Ahmed Ghnaim, Kadoura Fares, and Hatem Abdel Kader were issued visas by the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem. A fourth, Muhammad Hourani, was invited but did not plan to go.
Fares and Hourani were both key figures in the Palestinian delegation that hammered out the Geneva Initiative with an Israeli delegation comprising politicians and intellectuals led by Yossi Beilin in Jordan last week.
The invitation to Washington came a few days after Israel protested against the Swiss involvement in the initiative.
Former Labor Party leader MK Amram Mitzna said that the Israelis involved, including himself, would likely also travel to Washington in the coming weeks to discuss the initiative with top officials.
Mitzna declined to reveal which Washington officials the Palestinians will meet, but said their visit is connected to advancing the initiative.
Abdel Kader said the team would also raise the issue of the security fence which Israel is building in the West Bank. He also said that the Fatah leaders will meet with representatives of the Democratic Party, as well as senior US officials.
This is the first time that top Fatah officials have been summoned to the US for talks on the latest developments in the region. Three of the Fatah officials ? Abdel Kader, Fares, and Hourani ? are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The fourth ? Ghnaim ? is a member of the Fatah "revolutionary council" who played a major role earlier this year in efforts to convince Hamas and Islamic Jihad to accept a temporary cease-fire.
Abdel Kader told the Post that he and his colleagues would hold talks with US officials on the possibility of reaching a new hudna (cease-fire).
Noting that this would be the first time that senior US officials talk directly to Fatah leaders, Abdel Kader also said that the team would urge Washington to put pressure on Israel to lift the siege imposed on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Abdel Kader and his colleagues represent the "young guard" in Fatah who have long been sidelined by Arafat and the Palestinian leadership.
However, well-informed sources in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that the Fatah officials have been involved in behind-the-scenes talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad over the past few weeks with the aim of reaching an agreement that would end terrorist attacks against Israel.
The talks were conducted under the auspices of the Egyptian government. The sources added that Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Omar Suleiman is expected to head for Washington this week to brief US officials on the results of the secret talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.
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This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1066481750299
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Copyright 1995-2003 The Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com/
'Geneva Accord' Palestinians called to US for talks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khaled Abu Toameh Oct. 19, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three senior Fatah leaders, one of whom helped reach a deal with Israeli opposition figures last week, were to leave for Washington early Sunday for urgent talks with top US officials, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The invitation, which came as a surprise to the Fatah officials, was extended on Saturday evening. Ahmed Ghnaim, Kadoura Fares, and Hatem Abdel Kader were issued visas by the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem. A fourth, Muhammad Hourani, was invited but did not plan to go.
Fares and Hourani were both key figures in the Palestinian delegation that hammered out the Geneva Initiative with an Israeli delegation comprising politicians and intellectuals led by Yossi Beilin in Jordan last week.
The invitation to Washington came a few days after Israel protested against the Swiss involvement in the initiative.
Former Labor Party leader MK Amram Mitzna said that the Israelis involved, including himself, would likely also travel to Washington in the coming weeks to discuss the initiative with top officials.
Mitzna declined to reveal which Washington officials the Palestinians will meet, but said their visit is connected to advancing the initiative.
Abdel Kader said the team would also raise the issue of the security fence which Israel is building in the West Bank. He also said that the Fatah leaders will meet with representatives of the Democratic Party, as well as senior US officials.
This is the first time that top Fatah officials have been summoned to the US for talks on the latest developments in the region. Three of the Fatah officials ? Abdel Kader, Fares, and Hourani ? are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The fourth ? Ghnaim ? is a member of the Fatah "revolutionary council" who played a major role earlier this year in efforts to convince Hamas and Islamic Jihad to accept a temporary cease-fire.
Abdel Kader told the Post that he and his colleagues would hold talks with US officials on the possibility of reaching a new hudna (cease-fire).
Noting that this would be the first time that senior US officials talk directly to Fatah leaders, Abdel Kader also said that the team would urge Washington to put pressure on Israel to lift the siege imposed on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Abdel Kader and his colleagues represent the "young guard" in Fatah who have long been sidelined by Arafat and the Palestinian leadership.
However, well-informed sources in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that the Fatah officials have been involved in behind-the-scenes talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad over the past few weeks with the aim of reaching an agreement that would end terrorist attacks against Israel.
The talks were conducted under the auspices of the Egyptian government. The sources added that Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Omar Suleiman is expected to head for Washington this week to brief US officials on the results of the secret talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1066481750299
[ Back to the Article ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1995-2003 The Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com/
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