debkafile: The Bush speech opening Annapolis conference leaves in place the Israel-Palestinian impasse
Opening the Middle East conference on Nov. 27, President George W. Bush announced that the Palestinians and Israelis had agreed to wind up their bilateral negotiations “and resolve all core issues” before the end of 2008. A steering committee will meet continuously, starting on Dec. 12, 2007. The road map provisions will be implemented immediately until a peace treaty is achieved, under the supervision of a US-led Palestinian-Israeli mechanism. debkafile: The Palestinian demanded for a multilateral mechanism was thus rejected.
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will hold biweekly meetings.
Israelis must do their part, said the US president: The occupation which began in 1967 must be replaced by a negotiated settlement for a homeland for the Palestinian people. Outposts must be removed and settlement expansion halted.
The US is committed to an Israel state as the homeland of the Jewish people.