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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Qurei: 'We will reject any agreement that does not make Jerusalem the Palestinian capital' |
| 2008-09-03 |
| Ma'an -- Palestinian leaders will not sign a peace agreement with Israel that does not guarantee the status of East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, said Palestinian chief negotiator Ahmad Qurei on Tuesday. Qurei met with the envoy of the international Quartet, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday at Qurei's office in the town of Abu Dis, in East Jerusalem. The meeting addressed the results of recent meetings between the Palestinian and Israeli negotiators. Qurei reaffirmed the Palestinian position that any agreement must address all the core issues, including Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. Any agreement must address these issues in a binding way. Qurei, the former Palestinian prime minister, also said that Israel's policies are threatening to destroy the peace process. He said settlement construction in Jerusalem aims to turn the city into a purely Jewish entity, and mentioned the controversial excavations under Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the area of the Mughrebi Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, activity that has sparked concern that the iconic Mosque is under threat. Qurei called on the international Quartet along with to seek a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation of territories captured in 1967, and guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Furthermore, he said, the question of Palestinian refugees should also be solved in accordance with UN resolution 194. For his part, Blair expressed understanding the Palestinian attitude. He reiterated his rejection of Israel's expansion of settlements expansion and construction of new settlements. In order to achieve just peace, he said there should be tangible results, the first of which is ending Israeli occupation and giving the Palestinians opportunity to establish a democratic state. Blair also stressed the necessity to improve economic situation in the Palestinian territories which deteriorated as a result of Israeli siege. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 "Palestine" is a Roman slur word. There is nothing historical about it. Jerusalem belongs to Israel. |
| Posted by: newc 2008-09-03 01:54 |