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Israel Considers New Talks Based on Mitchell Report, Says Peres
Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Wednesday in Paris that Israel will set up a plan of negotiations based on the Mitchell Report to resume peace talks with the Palestinians.
"The basis of the plan (that Israel is to set up) is the Mitchell plan," said Peres in a speech addressed to the Commission of Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly, lower house of France's parliament.
The Mitchell report, presented earlier this year by an independent international commission led by former United States senator George Mitchell, recommends a durable ceasefire and the halt of building of Jewish settlements as preconditions for the resumption of negotiations.
Peres said the talks could restart after the Israeli army pulls out of the Palestinians towns that it seized following the assassination of an Israeli minister by Palestinian radical organizations.
"There remain but three towns of which we consider pullout by the end of next week," he said, "If we arrive at a cease-fire, we could restart political talks according to the Mitchell plan."
"The problem is the control of armed groups within the Palestine. If the Palestinians get to be responsible, we will finish the withdrawal," he added.
On Wednesday morning, Peres also met with his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine who stressed that the political process leading to the foundation of a Palestinian State must start.
On his part, the Israeli foreign minister reaffirmed Israel's willingness to resort to peaceful solutions. "We do not look for an imposed or military peace. The only peace that works is the one accepted by both sides," he said.
On the role of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Peres said: "We have no intention to get rid of the Palestinian Authorities or change their leader, but we could criticize him."
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