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March 2, 2009

World Leaders, Ministers Attend Gaza Donors Conference
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Donors urge Palestinians to reconcile, strive for peace with Israel; US
pledges up to $900 million in aid to Gaza, West Bank 
A general view of the opening session of the international donors
conference for rebuilding the Gaza Strip, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort
town of Sharm el-Sheikh, 02 Mar 2009Representatives of more than 70
donor nations are meeting in Egypt with hopes of raising billions of
dollars to help rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip after the recent
conflict between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
gaveled open the conference of foreign ministers and world dignitaries
in a bid to secure funds to help rebuild the damaged infrastructure of
the Gaza Strip. Mr. Mubarak said it is his "priority to reach a truce
between Israel and the Palestinians," despite the multiple setbacks in
negotiations Egypt has been mediating. He said Palestinians, as well as
Arab and Muslim states, can not bear the climate of limbo, in which
peace never quite arrives, for much longer. The situation in the region,
he emphasized, is alarming and could explode, more than at any time in
the past, abetted by terrorism that thrives on delayed peace and
regional forces that seek to drag the region into the abyss, as he put
it. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed aid money must be
accompanied by a "comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab
neighbors," urging all concerned to "break the cycle of rejection and
resistance":"By providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, we also aim
to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realized
... A state that is a responsible partner, is at peace with Israel and
its Arab neighbors, and is accountable to its people ... A state that
Palestinians everywhere can be proud of, and is respected worldwide.
This is the Palestinian state we all envision. This is the Palestinian
state we have an obligation to help create," she said. Clinton said the
United States is donating $300 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza, in
addition to $600 million for the Palestinian Authority, which is
expected to use it to help pay the salaries of civil servants. French
President Nicholas
 Sarkozy had harsh words to the Palestinians, who have yet to form a
national unity government capable of accepting world aid. He said making
peace with Israel was the duty of all "responsible Palestinians" and
that excuses were no longer acceptable."It is a matter of will," he
said. "Do we want to meet, just to talk or do we want to take the risk
of making peace? Some tell me that the conditions (for peace) are not
ripe," he argued. "Well, if we wait for the conditions to be ripe to
talk peace, we will be waiting a long time, and in the meantime we will
be giving the initiative to extremists, everywhere." He added. Among the
extremists Mr. Sarkozy was referring to is the Islamic Hamas movement,
which controls Gaza. International donors want Hamas to play no part in
spending funds pledged to rebuild Gaza. Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas at the opening session of the Gaza reconstruction
conference in Egypt,02 Mar 2009The Palestinian Authority of President
Mahmoud Abbas is seeking $2.8 billion from donor states to rebuild Gaza.
He told the gathering the funds would be "inadequate" if there is no
political settlement to the decades-old conflict with Israel. In the
margins of the conference Secretary of State Clinton is also reportedly
meeting with members of the International Quartet, which is spearheading
Middle East peace efforts. Al Jazeera TV reported Clinton had met with
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Muallem. Damascus is a key supporter of
Hamas, which controls Gaza. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon noted
that despite what he called the "intolerable" situation in Gaza, he was
"encouraged by the speed with which President Barak Obama has (become)
engaged in the Middle East," praising the appointment of Senator George
Mitchell as special Middle East envoy. 


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