- JERUSALEM -- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- "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."
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- 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.
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- 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.
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