CNN.com November 29, 2003
Palestinians demand Israeli compromise on barrier
Palestinian prime minister: 'We want real negotiations'
RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said Saturday that "there is no reason for negotiations" with Israel if the Jewish state continues building its West Bank barrier.
He also added that the Palestinians are ready to sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government if it shows a willingness to compromise on the issue.
"The Palestinian Cabinet welcomes a meeting with Sharon but insists that such a meeting will not take place without the necessary preparation," Qorei said at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday that Israel "is not in compliance" with the demand of the General Assembly that it "stop and reverse the construction" of what Israel calls a security barrier. The Palestinians consider the barrier a land grab. (Full story)
The barrier's route stretches north to south, much of it inside the so-called Green Line -- the pre-1967 border between Israel and the West Bank, which was part of Jordan at the time of the Six Day War. It is estimated that it will enclose about 77 square kilometers (about 30 square miles) of occupied land.
At least 11 Palestinian villages will end up on the Israeli side of the barrier, according to globalsecurity.org, a nonpartisan international policy-research group.
Israel has built 150 kilometers (93 miles) of the barrier in the north. When, finished the barrier will stretch 689 kilometers (428 miles) at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion -- a little more than $3.5 million per mile.
Qorei said he will meet with Sharon if the Israeli leader sincerely reviews Palestinian concerns about the barrier.
The Palestinian prime minister said: "Our people are suffering, our land is being stolen, so we will not meet with Sharon just to give him cover for his actions and give him legitimacy. We need to ask ourselves what we want to achieve from such a meeting. We are serious. We want real negotiations."
Meanwhile, groundwork for a meeting between Sharon and Qorei is being laid. On Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli diplomats are meeting to prepare for a sit-down talk between the leaders.
Qorei was headed to Jordan on Saturday to meet with senior U.S. diplomat William Burns.
Qorei is the Palestinian Authority's second prime minister, having taken the helm when Mahmoud Abbas resigned after a power struggle with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat about security issues.
© Copyright 2003, Cable News Network
