JERUSALEM Ñ The revised U.S.-backed "roadmap" to peace calls for Israel's unconditional endorsement of a Palestinian state, drops references to democratically-elected Palestinian leadership and requires an immediate halt to the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The request was disclosed as a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a
packed Israeli passenger bus in Jerusalem. At least 11 people killed and
more than 40 were injured in the attack. Many of the victims were children
on their way to school, Middle East Newsline reported.
Israeli officials said the U.S. request was relayed as part of a
revision of the peace plan of the so-called Quartet. The Quartet, comprised
of the United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations, drafted a
roadmap for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement by 2006.
The new draft of the roadmap, completed on Nov. 14, calls for Israel's
unconditional endorsement of a Palestinian state with interim borders in
2003. This would be followed by a Palestinian state with permanent borders
in 2005.
A previous version of the roadmap appeared to have linked a Palestinian
state to a democratically-elected leadership. But the officials said such a
link has disappeared amid the revisions in the document.
In addition, officials said, the United States and its partners are
demanding an immediate halt to all construction in the West Bank, Gaza Strip
and part of Jerusalem captured in the 1967 war. They said the construction
freeze comprised the first stage of the roadmap.
The United States and its partners have asked that the Palestinians end
their war against Israel immediately and endorse a Jewish state. But
officials said the demands of Israel and the Palestinians were not linked.
Officials said the revisions were drafted after talks with Palestinian
leaders, who expressed skepticism over the commitment of the Quartet to a
Palestinian state. They said the final draft of the roadmap is expected to
be released on Dec. 20.
In early December, the Quartet plans to convene to place the finishing
touches on the roadmap. Israel has urged that the plan be delayed until
after nationals elections scheduled for Jan. 28.
For its part, the United States has not acknowledged any final revisions
of the roadmap draft. The State Department said the document and a date for
its release are being examined.
"We haven't made any decisions in terms of announcements or anything,
any other forward moving there," State Department deputy spokesman Philip
Reeker said on Wednesday. "I've described for you our goals and the roadmap,
and I just can't give you any more dates. It's something we're still looking
at."
Details of the new draft were relayed to Israel as a Palestinian suicide
bomber blew himself up in Jerusalem on Thursday. Hamas was said to have
carried out the bombing and the suicide attacker was identified as a
26-year-old from the Bethlehem suburb of El Khader.
Israeli officials said authorities had foiled 85 attempted Palestinian
attacks over the last six weeks. They said most of the foiled attacks were
plans to conduct suicide missions against Israeli targets.
