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Israel FM Says No Talks Under Threat With Palestinians
Israel cannot agree to continue negotiations with the Palestinians "under the threat" of a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami warned in Rome Monday.
Any unilateral Palestinian move would also "almost certainly" be matched by a similar Israeli move, said Ben Ami after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato.
Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato urged Israel to pursue talks with the Palestinians despite the failure of the July 11-July 25 Camp David summit.
According to a communique from Amato's office, during their talks the premier stressed that the peace process is in a crucial phase, and that both sides must find enough courage and willingness to bring it to a final conclusion.
The communique added that Amato assured Ben Ami that Italy will continue to provide support to the peace process both as a member of the EU and as an individual partner of both Israel and the Palestinian authorities.
Ben Ami sounded a more optimistic note when he told reporters that negotiations have never been interrupted "in the recent past".
Ben Ami said he sees "real possibilities" of getting the two sides lined up again in a "pre-summit" situation.
Ben Ami pointed out that the favorable conjunction of factors in favor of an agreement include Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and President Bill Clinton, also voicing doubts whether the two U.S. presidential candidates will be as committed to a Middle Eastern settlement as Clinton.
"We could reach agreement on a final accord in the coming weeks of September," he suggested before flying back to Israel.
At the moment, the Israelis are standing by their demand that Jerusalem, the whole city including the Arab eastern sector occupied in the 1967 Six War, should be their capital in perpetuity, while the Palestinians are equally firm in demanding that they should have at least part of the city as their own capital.
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