Posted on 07/03/2003 12:09:56 PM PDT by yonif
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom urged Egypt and Jordan on Wednesday to return their ambassadors as a result of the progress in relations with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
"Significant progress has been made in the peace process," Shalom said in the Knesset, noting that Abbas was hosted at Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Jerusalem office on Tuesday.
He said that Egypt and Jordan would send a "positive signal" to the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world by restoring ambassadorial relations. Shalom also called on Morocco, Tunisia, and Qatar to restore interest offices here to help the peace effort.
Shalom was speaking during a Knesset debate on the cease-fire agreement in the PA and US diplomacy. He said it was "not enough" for Egyptian and Jordanian leaders to hold meetings with their Israeli counterparts.
Long-time Egyptian ambassador Muhammad Bassiouny was recalled in November 2000 following the outbreak of violence with the Palestinians, and Jordan declined to replace Omar Rifai who was transferred to a new posting.
Shalom said that as opposed to previous attempts to restore relations with the Palestinians, he believes "this time it is different." During the Abbas-Sharon meeting he said he had to "pinch himself" to believe that it was true.
He also said that his government "wants to make peace and can make peace" as long as there are people on the other side who want to live in peace and prosperity.
At the same time, Shalom said that incitement against Israel is continuing in the PA, and even hours before the Sharon-Abbas meeting PA television was showing the burning of the Israeli flag and the map of Palestine that does not include Israel.
He said he hopes that Abbas's decision to work with Israel and the US against incitement will be successful. He noted that the PA has also committed to dismantling terrorist infrastructure and collecting illegal arms.
MK Taleb a-Sanaa (United Arab List) said Abbas is courageous for his new approach to relations with Israel and is facing attacks from the Palestinians and Arab world for it.
He said he must have a partner on the Israeli side in order to be successful, and criticized Shalom for referring to the hudna as a "ticking time bomb." MK Amir Peretz (Am Ehad) called on the Knesset factions to back the government and support the "great chance" for progress in the new peace process.
But Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev said that Israel is only repeating the mistakes of the Oslo accords in the new road map peace plan.
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