First Abbas-Sharon meeting since Gaza pullout postponed for second time

JERUSALEM, West Bank- Israeli-Palestinian summit was called off Monday at the last minute, a sign that Israel's Gaza pullout last month has failed for now to create the peace momentum the international community had hoped for. The meeting, set tentatively for Tuesday, stumbled over day-to-day issues such as Israel's release of Palestinian prisoners, and not over fundamental disputes that have kept the sides from reaching a peace deal for more than a decade. The summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was postponed after the two sides deadlocked over the turnover of West Bank towns to Palestinians control. The meeting was to have been the first between the two leaders since Israel completed its Gaza Strip withdrawal last month. "There was not enough preparation for this summit . . . to be held tomorrow," Palestinian official Nabil Abu Rdeneh said. "So it has been postponed until the end of the month, or the beginning of next month." That would follow Abbas' Oct. 20 talks in Washington with U.S. President George W. Bush. The Palestinian leader would have preferred to take summit achievements with him. In a joint statement, the two sides said they would continue meeting in committees to try to resolve the disputes. "We regret that the summit that was planned . . . will not take place tomorrow, but we hope that it will take place in the near future," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said at the start of a meeting with visiting Assistant Secretary of State David Welsh. Although Israel and the Palestinians would both benefit from a summit showing progress toward peace after the Gaza pullout, Israel balked at making gestures it said would harm its security. The Palestinians want Israel to honour its commitment to turn over four West Bank towns currently under Israeli military control. Also, they want Israel to free some of the more than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners it is holding. Israel is prepared in principle to free some prisoners but has not been specific, Palestinian Cabinet Minister Sufian Abu Zaydeh said. "Israel is talking in general, not talking about numbers and criteria. That's not enough for the Palestinians," Abu Zaydeh said. "The issue of the prisoners is one of the most important issues in terms of Palestinian public opinion," he added. Abbas "would have a lot of difficulty meeting with Sharon without having convincing answers," he said. Growing chaos in the Palestinian territories, including the rise of militant groups, is threatening Abbas' rule. Some argue that Israeli gestures such as prisoner releases can help prop up the Palestinian leader and enable him to better confront those challenges. Prisoner releases is a deeply emotional issue on the Palestinian street. Raanan Gissin, an official in Sharon's office, said Israel was considering releasing some prisoners involved in attacks, but the details would have to be worked out in a joint committee. Gissin said it was unrealistic to try to wrap up years of conflict in one move. "We're talking about a process, a very complex process, of returning back to normal," he said, adding that the Gaza pullout "has proved that the only way that you can move toward peace is piecemeal, step by step, trying to resolve issues and then moving ahead." The postponement of the summit was the second in as many weeks. An Oct. 2 meeting was cancelled after Palestinian militants bombarded southern Israel with rockets, and Israel retaliated with a military offensive. Donor countries will spend $750 million on job-creation and infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip this year, a spokesman for international mediator James Wolfensohn said Monday. Individual projects will be supervised directly by the donor countries, said spokesman Didi Remez. The money will be spent in the next three months in hopes of creating thousands of jobs and jump-starting an economic recovery in Gaza. By Mouhamad Daragmeh