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Monday, July 27, 2009
Sen. Mitchell to President Peres:Palestinians obligation is to get bigger stronger security force (no mention of destroying terror infrastructure)

[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:

OK. Let's peek over the rose colored glasses for a moment and recall that,
as
Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon said on 8 July:

"... of course we do appreciate General Dayton's work to build capacity over
there. But of course much more, a lot more, substantially a lot more can be
done by the Palestinians to dismantle the infrastructure - that is to
collect illegal arms, to disband and outlaw all the terror organizations.
Nothing has been done in this area, not to mention of course, the
incitement, the curriculum and all that. These things are still standing.
These are not just demands and expectations that we have. I mean these are
commitments that the Palestinians have taken upon themselves."

But Senator Mitchell apparently doesn't think this is a problem.

"For the Palestinians, it means expanding and improving their security
forces, to take action against incitement and to refrain from any words or
deeds that may make it more difficult to move quickly toward successful
negotiations."

]

Monday, July 27, 2009
Special US Envoy Sen. George Mitchell in a positive message to President
Peres:

“Israel has taken meaningful action in the West Bank for significantly
improved access and the potential for economic growth”

“The Arab world, headed by Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt,
wants to move toward overall regional peace between Israel and the Arab
states”

President Shimon Peres held a diplomatic work meeting today with Sen. George
Mitchell, the special US envoy to the Middle East. The two discussed the
Iranian threat, the promotion of the peace process between Israel and its
neighbors, and the strengthening of the relationship between Israel and the
United States. The meeting began with joint statements for the press and was
followed by a brief one-on-one work meeting in the President’s office.

President Peres began by stating that: “Israel is on a positive course in
the direction of peace. The declaration by the Prime Minister of Israel
concerning two states for two peoples represented a meaningful step in
advancing Israeli policy toward peace. At the same time, the Government of
Israel has taken a series of measures to relieve and promote the Palestinian
economy. Within the framework of those measures, 25 checkpoints have been
removed in the West Bank, and free passage of goods and persons throughout
the West Bank has been made possible.” The President emphasized that this is
a process to which the Government of Israel is committed, and one which will
continue in the future as well.

The President praised the work of US General Dayton and stated: “The
training of Palestinian forces to fight in the war against terror, and to
preserve the security of the civilians in the West Bank, is necessary and
important.”

Regarding the diplomatic climate in the Middle East and the efforts toward
promoting a regional agreement, the President said: “President Obama’s
speech made a profound impression on peoples and states in the Middle East.
Obama has given people hope, and as the President of the State, I believe it
is necessary to act according to his vision and to continue moving forward.”
He added: “I congratulate Saudi Arabia for the Arab peace initiative; but,
above and beyond declarations, trust-building measures on the ground, which
will strengthen the hope and allay the fears, are also required.”

On the subject of Syria, President Peres stated: “I have listened carefully
to your declaration in Syria, and my position is clear – Syria must come and
hold direct negotiations, face-to-face, between the Syrian leadership and
that of Israel – there is no substitute for that, and if they really and
truly want to pursue the course of peace – that is the way.”

Sen. Mitchell told the President: “It’s a great honor to meet with you. As
always, I appreciate your advice. I have listened to you over many, many
years. You and I have been friends for many years and our governments are
friends. The talks between the United States and Israel are talks among
friends, and not disputes among adversaries. They are discussions among
friends who are trying to move forward to reach a common goal – a desire for
comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”

Sen. Mitchell added: “To help achieve comprehensive peace, President Obama
has asked all involved to support our effort. For the Arab states, that
means meaningful steps toward normalization of relations with Israel. For
the Palestinians, it means expanding and improving their security forces, to
take action against incitement and to refrain from any words or deeds that
may make it more difficult to move quickly toward successful negotiations.
The meaningful measures which Israel must take include making possible
improved access and movement and economic growth for the Palestinians, and
dealing with difficult issues like settlements and outposts.”

Sen. Mitchell referred to the positive actions which have already been taken
in the Israeli-Palestinian contexts, saying: “As you noted, Mr. President,
there has been movement and I think you should be recognized. Israel has
taken meaningful action in the West Bank, which we hope can be sustained and
expanded, and that it will be possible to achieve significantly improved
access as well as the potential for economic growth in the West Bank . The
Palestinians have made significant strides in improving their security
forces, to ensure that the Palestinians can live in safety, and it is
important that the Palestinian state will be a responsible neighbor to
Israel and other states in the region.”

Concerning the Arab initiative, Mitchell said that: “In the last several
days and weeks, there have been calls from the Arab world – from Egypt, from
where I just returned (where President Mubarak asked me to convey his
personal regards to you), from the United Arab Emirates, from Bahrain – to
overcome a focus on the past and to call for steps by Arab states to do what
they can to fulfill the promise of the Arab peace initiative.”

Sen. Mitchell concluded by stating: “I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and
you, Mr. President, and other leaders in this region who have actively
spoken on behalf of our efforts. I would like to emphasize that the American
commitment to Israel’s security is firm, it’s unshakable and it will not
change. The United States believes that Israel’s security can be achieved
and protected through comprehensive peace in the region. And it is to add
that we direct our principal efforts.”

For further details:
Ayelet Frish- spokesperson for the President 050-620-5111
Meital Jaslovitz- assistant to the spokesperson 050-420-5230

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