Israel 'turns back on world'

2004-07-07 20:01

Jerusalem - The government snubbed an international group of Mideast mediators in the region to discuss Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, saying it first wants to discuss the pullout with American officials.

The representatives of the so-called Quartet - comprising the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia - met with Palestinian officials on Wednesday who welcomed the visit.

The group is trying to push forward the Gaza withdrawal plan. It hopes the pullout will be the first step of the internationally backed "road map" peace plan.

Israeli officials, however, decided not to meet with the diplomats during a stop in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Sharon's spokesperson, Asaf Shariv, denied the government had refused to meet the Quartet team. He said that Israel first wants to talk to a White House delegation arriving this week before discussing the withdrawal plan with others.

"We did not refuse to meet with them ... There were no plans to meet them from the beginning," Shariv said.

"We have a very respected American delegation coming out this week and we will discuss these issues with them."

But Christina Gallach, a spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, said the Israelis had called off a scheduled meeting.

She said that at last month's summit of the Group of Eight industrial powers, participants had decided to send Quartet representatives to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss how the Gaza pullout could advance the "road map" peace plan.

Gallach said she did not know why the Israelis had called off the talks.

In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia met with the diplomats and held an additional meeting with David Satterfield, the American representative at the talks.

"If it is true that Israeli officials would not meet with the Quartet, it means that Israel is turning its back to the entire world," he said.

Israel's failure to meet the envoys was the latest sign it is distancing itself from the road map, a broad peace plan that envisions the formation of an independent Palestinian state through direct negotiations with Israel.

- AP