U.S. President George Bush has pledged $350 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority to implement reforms in a Palestinian state that, he said, is now "within reach."
"The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach and America will help them achieve that goal," Bush said in his State of the Union address on Wednesday. "To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms."
In November 2004, the administration provided $20 million to the PA following the death of PA chairman Yasser Arafat. The administration had already pledged $60 million last year and the World Bank has pledged an annual aid package of $500 million if the PA ends all violence against Israel and there is significant progess towards peace, Middle East Newsline reported.
In Jerusalem, Israeli and Palestinian officials meet on Thursday to discuss Tuesday's summit in Sharm El Sheikh meant to announce a formal ceasfire between Israel and the Palestinians.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah are slated to participate in the summit. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is scheduled to travel to the region early next week is not expected to attend but will urge the Palestinians and the Israelis to implement the U-S.-backed road map plan.
During the summit, Sharon is expected to announce new security arrangements with the Palestinains. These include the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, including security prisoners who particpated in attacks against Israel, a timetable for the full withdrawal from Palestinian towns in the West Bank, disengagement from Gaza and the evacuation of all Jewish settlements in the area, dismantling of small Jewish settlements in the northern West Bank, the opening of the Karni and Erez border crossings into Gaza, the opening of the Gaza seaport, an end to all new construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the removal of most West Bank checkpoints.
The deployment of 1,000 Jordanian troops in the northern West Bank after the implementation of the disengagement from Gaza is also on the negotiating table as well as the return of the Egyptian and Jordanian ambassadors to Israel, although not immediately.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz met PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan to work out new security arrangements for both parties. Close to 5,000 PA security forces have already been deployed in the northern and southern Gaza Strip and on Wednesday Palestinian security forces uncovered tunnels which have been used to smuggle weapons into Gaza from Egypt.
So far, Israeli military officials said the number of mortar and Kassam rocket attacks against Israel have been reduced but not ended.
"We will give Abu Mazen [Abbas] a chance by suspending our operations against the wanted Palestinians, but this is a freeze not an amnesty," Amos Gilad, chief political advisor to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said. "If these wanted Palestinians start up their terrorist activities again, we will resume our offensive operations against them."
On Thursday, Abbas is scheduled to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman.
"We hope that the summit will be useful and help turn over a new leaf in the road map's implementation, and the restoration of the rights of the Palestinian people," Abbas said.
