Mideast Quartet Responds to Palestinian Needs
10 May 2006
Will set up limited, temporary system for aid delivery
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The Quartet for Middle East peace continues to insist that the Hamas-led Palestinian government accept international principles, but also will make an effort to deliver more aid directly to the Palestinian people.
The Quartet includes the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
"The thrust of this is the international community is still trying to respond to the needs of the Palestinian people," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a May 9 press conference with other representatives of the Quartet.
"What is being said to Hamas is: ‘Come into line with the norms of the international community and do so because as the government of the Palestinian people, they are owed a better life, and a better life is only going to come in the context of a two-state solution and ... negotiations on a peace process,’" Rice added.
After two separate closed-door meetings at U.N. headquarters, the Quartet representatives -- Rice, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner -- issued a statement expressing "grave concern that the Palestinian government has so far failed to commit itself to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and the acceptance of previous agreements," including the so-called road map for peace in the Middle East.
"The donor members noted their willingness to work toward the restoration of international assistance to the Palestinian Authority government once it has committed to these principles," according to the statement.
"No one wants to see the Palestinian people suffer," Rice said. "We've been very clear that we intend to keep humanitarian aid flowing to the Palestinian people." Rice announced a U.S. contribution of $10 million in essential medicines and supplies to the Palestinian people. (See related article.)
Summarizing the Quartet's official statement, Annan said that the group "expressed serious concern about deteriorating conditions in the West Bank and Gaza," called on the international community to respond to requests for donations, and urged Israel and the Palestinians to implement their obligations under the Agreement on Movement and Access.
The Quartet is willing to endorse a temporary international mechanism that will deliver assistance directly to the Palestinian people, the secretary-general said. The European Union has offered to develop the program, which would begin as soon as possible.
The program would be limited, Rice explained, because it is not intended "to transfer responsibility for meeting the needs of the Palestinian people from its government to the international community. It is to provide assistance to the Palestinian people so they do not suffer deprivation and do not suffer humanitarian crisis."
Asked whether the United States would encourage talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Rice said that "there have been talks before that have been useful. Obviously, we always want people to talk, but it is going to be up to the governments as to whether or not they take place.
"They have been partners before and I suspect that won't stop," the secretary said.
The Quartet also met earlier in the day with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib, and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.
The transcript of the Quartet representatives' May 9 press conference, and the full text of the Quartet statement are available on the State Department Web site.
For additional information on U.S. policy, see The Middle East: A Vision for the Future.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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