P.A. leader Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) - apparently encouraged by the Geneva initiative, the terms of which are significantly better for the PA side than those Ariel Sharon plans to offer - has all but called off all talks with Sharon. "As long as the construction of the partition fence continues," Abu Ala said yesterday, "there is no point to having a meeting with Sharon... I know Sharon, and I have no illusions. There is no chance of reaching an agreement to end the conflict during his term of office." As reported here last week, the chances of Sharon agreeing to stop the fence under the current circumstances are nil, such that Abu Ala is clearly not interested in meeting with Sharon.
Pressure on Israel was exerted from other directions as well. Following the American subtraction of partition monies from loan guarantees last week, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has now determined, in an official UN document, that the construction of the wall is "in violation of international law, and its continued construction will sabotage the peace process." Israel says it will continue to build it as a "proven non-violent means of stopping terrorism."
In addition, U.S. mediator will meet with Sharon today and will demand of him to remove the "illegal" outposts and ease still more the conditions for Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha).
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz has prepared a list of 15 outposts slated for destruction, including six unmanned ones planned to be uprooted this week. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman says that one of the six may be Mitzpeh Yitzhar, which could be considered populated - and that it is no coincidence that two of the main driving forces behind it were arrested last night. A disciplinary hearing was held for the two last week after charges were raised that they had violated orders not to build in Mitzpeh Yitzhar - but the hearing was abruptly stopped when it was learned not only that there were no such orders, but that the army had approved the construction. Despite this, the two were arrested last night.
"The Yesha Council is not planning to make a fuss, at this stage, about the non-manned outposts," Huberman reports, "but it will wage a major struggle against any attempt to dismantle populated outposts."
Pressure on Israel was exerted from other directions as well. Following the American subtraction of partition monies from loan guarantees last week, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has now determined, in an official UN document, that the construction of the wall is "in violation of international law, and its continued construction will sabotage the peace process." Israel says it will continue to build it as a "proven non-violent means of stopping terrorism."
In addition, U.S. mediator will meet with Sharon today and will demand of him to remove the "illegal" outposts and ease still more the conditions for Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha).
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz has prepared a list of 15 outposts slated for destruction, including six unmanned ones planned to be uprooted this week. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman says that one of the six may be Mitzpeh Yitzhar, which could be considered populated - and that it is no coincidence that two of the main driving forces behind it were arrested last night. A disciplinary hearing was held for the two last week after charges were raised that they had violated orders not to build in Mitzpeh Yitzhar - but the hearing was abruptly stopped when it was learned not only that there were no such orders, but that the army had approved the construction. Despite this, the two were arrested last night.
"The Yesha Council is not planning to make a fuss, at this stage, about the non-manned outposts," Huberman reports, "but it will wage a major struggle against any attempt to dismantle populated outposts."