According to sources from both parties, agreements on key issues had not been met during preceding negotiations between top Sharon aide Dov Weisglass and Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator Saeb Erekat. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cited lack of preparation as the main reason the meeting was postponed. The summit will most likely instead take place sometime in November.
"While it is important to have contact, you don't go to a meeting that is not properly prepared,” Sharon stated in a cabinet meeting Sunday.
Israel has been thus far unwilling to concede to multiple PA demands during several discussions between Weisglass and Erekat. According to media reports, the PA is seeking weapons from Israel to help fight ongoing terror, the release of several prisoners, and an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawal from the town of Bethlehem.
It remains unclear what Israel hopes to receive in return for such gestures.
According to Dr. Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University, Abbas needs to show his constituents and the world concrete results for the meeting with Sharon to be a success.
"The Palestinians are expecting more concessions from the Israeli side,” said Inbar in an interview with Arutz-7. “They have a strategy of being a nebech [misfortunate one]. They say, 'I am a nebech. I am weak. Give me more. Strengthen me.' That is the strategy that has worked for them for many years."
Abbas is planning to travel to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on October 20. This week, the U.S. State Department dispatched Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, to meet with Abbas in Ramallah ahead of the Washington visit.
Welch and Abbas discussed political developments following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, as well as issues to be raised at Abbas' now-postponed meeting with Ariel Sharon. Welch had been pressuring Abbas to meet with Sharon now, instead of in November as originally planned.
Abbas had been hoping to boast a successful meeting with Sharon, during his Washington trip later in the month. However, once it became clear that the PA would not achieve any significant gains from Israel, the meeting with Sharon was postponed.
"I think that Abu Mazen didn't get what he wanted,” Inbar stated. “He doesn't want to be seen too much with Ariel Sharon. He has a strong opposition from Hamas and other bodies. So if he cannot produce some concrete concessions from Israel, he has no need to meet Sharon, despite the American pressure for him to do so.
"I assume that if the meeting will take place in November, there will be something that Abu Mazen will get that he can show to his constituents. He may get prisoners. He may get a city. He may get some safe passage from Gaza to Judea and Samaria.”
Inbar believes that Sharon should remain committed to meeting with Abbas. "Israel must do what it can to reach some understanding with the Palestinians, but not at all costs,” Inbar stated.
“Sharon also faces internal issues similar to those of Abu Mazen. Sharon faces internal opposition within his party. He is facing elections within a year. There is an expectation that he will now pursue a hawkish policy. He has no reason to make concessions to the Palestinians now. The expectation of Israelis and I think of the whole world is that Abu Mazen must establish order in his own house and Sharon is trying to strengthen that expectation."
Despite the cancellation of the planned meeting, the IDF has decided to ease conditions for PA Arabs during the current Moslem holiday of Ramadan.
Arab workers will be allowed to help Israeli farmers pick olives, and 100 businessmen from the PA will be allowed to leave Judea and Samaria and enter Israel's pre-1967 borders. In addition, 4,000 Arabs over the age of 45 will be allowed to pray on the Jewish Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, on Sunday, the Israeli Navy lifted restrictions on Gazan fisherman, and the IDF re-opened the Karni Crossing in northern Gaza. Gaza's primary commercial passage was closed several weeks ago after Arabs fired numerous Kassam rockets into the Negev.
OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel responded by claiming that "the State of Israel has a great interest in the welfare of the residents of Gaza. It's our opinion that as their economic situation improves, it will undermine the legs of terror."
"While it is important to have contact, you don't go to a meeting that is not properly prepared,” Sharon stated in a cabinet meeting Sunday.
Israel has been thus far unwilling to concede to multiple PA demands during several discussions between Weisglass and Erekat. According to media reports, the PA is seeking weapons from Israel to help fight ongoing terror, the release of several prisoners, and an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawal from the town of Bethlehem.
It remains unclear what Israel hopes to receive in return for such gestures.
According to Dr. Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University, Abbas needs to show his constituents and the world concrete results for the meeting with Sharon to be a success.
"The Palestinians are expecting more concessions from the Israeli side,” said Inbar in an interview with Arutz-7. “They have a strategy of being a nebech [misfortunate one]. They say, 'I am a nebech. I am weak. Give me more. Strengthen me.' That is the strategy that has worked for them for many years."
Abbas is planning to travel to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on October 20. This week, the U.S. State Department dispatched Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, to meet with Abbas in Ramallah ahead of the Washington visit.
Welch and Abbas discussed political developments following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, as well as issues to be raised at Abbas' now-postponed meeting with Ariel Sharon. Welch had been pressuring Abbas to meet with Sharon now, instead of in November as originally planned.
Abbas had been hoping to boast a successful meeting with Sharon, during his Washington trip later in the month. However, once it became clear that the PA would not achieve any significant gains from Israel, the meeting with Sharon was postponed.
"I think that Abu Mazen didn't get what he wanted,” Inbar stated. “He doesn't want to be seen too much with Ariel Sharon. He has a strong opposition from Hamas and other bodies. So if he cannot produce some concrete concessions from Israel, he has no need to meet Sharon, despite the American pressure for him to do so.
"I assume that if the meeting will take place in November, there will be something that Abu Mazen will get that he can show to his constituents. He may get prisoners. He may get a city. He may get some safe passage from Gaza to Judea and Samaria.”
Inbar believes that Sharon should remain committed to meeting with Abbas. "Israel must do what it can to reach some understanding with the Palestinians, but not at all costs,” Inbar stated.
“Sharon also faces internal issues similar to those of Abu Mazen. Sharon faces internal opposition within his party. He is facing elections within a year. There is an expectation that he will now pursue a hawkish policy. He has no reason to make concessions to the Palestinians now. The expectation of Israelis and I think of the whole world is that Abu Mazen must establish order in his own house and Sharon is trying to strengthen that expectation."
Despite the cancellation of the planned meeting, the IDF has decided to ease conditions for PA Arabs during the current Moslem holiday of Ramadan.
Arab workers will be allowed to help Israeli farmers pick olives, and 100 businessmen from the PA will be allowed to leave Judea and Samaria and enter Israel's pre-1967 borders. In addition, 4,000 Arabs over the age of 45 will be allowed to pray on the Jewish Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, on Sunday, the Israeli Navy lifted restrictions on Gazan fisherman, and the IDF re-opened the Karni Crossing in northern Gaza. Gaza's primary commercial passage was closed several weeks ago after Arabs fired numerous Kassam rockets into the Negev.
OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel responded by claiming that "the State of Israel has a great interest in the welfare of the residents of Gaza. It's our opinion that as their economic situation improves, it will undermine the legs of terror."