RIYADH, 10 January 2003 — The UN special coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, says there is little hope of bringing Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table before Israeli elections on Jan. 28. Israel, however, will accept the new road map for peace currently being prepared by the Quartet, based on the Saudi proposal, Roed-Larsen said during an interview with Arab News here on Wednesday night.
“The Israeli government has not responded so far to the road map and it probably will not until the elections,” the UN envoy, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, said. “One cannot judge the position of Israel until the elections, but I hope the government of Israel will accept the road map,” he added. The road map is being drafted by the members of the Quartet — the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia — in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. The road map, which calls for the cessation of hostilities, creation of a Palestinian state in 2005 and the formulation of a Palestinian constitution, is based on the main outlines of the Saudi proposal.
Roed-Larsen called on Israel to allow Palestinians to participate in talks in London on Jan. 13 and 14. He said the London talks probably have a broader political scope with special reference to reform of the Palestinian Authority. He criticized Israel’s response to the London meeting. Earlier, he held wide-ranging talks with Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal. The UN special envoy reiterated his view that “the peace initiative launched by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, has become a cornerstone in all international efforts to bring the parties back to the table and it also influences in a major way the Quartet”. He said elements of the Saudi proposal that was endorsed by an Arab summit are explicitly there in the proposed road map.
Roed-Larsen said action, instead of paper work, is needed at this point of time. However, in the backdrop of the tragic bombing that killed 22 people in Tel Aviv recently, coupled with 70 Palestinian deaths in Israeli military action last month, talks seem a distant possibility, he conceded.
He also deplored the humanitarian crisis caused by the reoccupation of the West Bank and the violence in the region, which is creating more problems for the survival of Palestinians. “There is 50 percent unemployment in Gaza and West Bank,” said the UN envoy, adding that 60 percent of the people in Palestinian territories are also living below the poverty line. This is apart from almost $10 million the Palestinian economy loses daily due to Israel’s punitive measures.
Roed-Larsen said there is no solution to these economic problems unless a political solution to restore peace in the region is found. “Even if we contribute an additional $1 billion to the existing $1 billion annual support to the Palestinians, the situation will not improve substantially,” he said. Roed-Larsen also met Minister of Finance and National Economy Ibrahim Al-Assaf on Wednesday and attended the inaugural ceremony of the Janadriah festival.
