United States Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer presented Wednesday afternoon Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with the 'road map' to Middle East peacemaking, drafted by a quartet of international mediators. Some two hours later, the plan was presented to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) by UN envoy to the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen.
Earlier, Larsen had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Abu Mazen and his cabinet on Wednesday.
The plan is intended to be a phase-by-phase route to ending conflict within two years. The document calls on Palestinians and Israelis to take immediate steps to improve security and cooperation.
It sees a provisional Palestinian state in place by early 2004 and agreement on an independent permanent Palestinian state by the end of 2005.
The "roadmap" was presented despite a suicide bombing that took place early Wednesday in Tel Aviv. Saeb Erekat, a member of Abbas' new cabinet, condemned the attack but added: "The only way to stop... this cycle of violence is by reviving a meaningful peace process."
Meanwhile, the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, rejected the "roadmap" plan and vowed no respite in attacks on Israel. "The road map aims to assure security for Israel at the expense of the security of our people. It is a plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause. It is rejected by us," Sheikh Ahmed Yassin told Reuters in Gaza City.
Hamas and Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the latest attack in Tel Aviv. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
