QUARTET TALKS IN EGYPT

UPDATED: 21:21, November 15, 2006
International quartet discusses Mideast peace process in Cairo

Representatives of the International Quartet on the Middle East met in Cairo on Wednesday afternoon to discuss efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported. The meeting at the residence of the Russian ambassador in Cairo brought together U.S. envoy David Welch, UN envoy Alvaro de Soto, Sergei Iacovlev from Russia and Marc Otte from the European Union. The quartet comprises Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

The meeting is expected to discuss efforts to revive the Middle East peace process and efforts by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form a new government in place of incumbent Hamas-led one. It was not known whether a statement would be issued after the meeting. On Sunday, Arab foreign ministers held an emergency meeting at the Arab League (AL) Headquarters in Cairo to discuss the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They issued a 15-point resolution at the end of the meeting, including measures to resolve the conflict and break the West's siege of the Palestinians. Source: Xinhua

Hamas: We won't have to recognize Israel after allSource: Ha'aretz,November 15, 2006

The Arabs states and other members of the international community are ready to end their boycott of the Palestinian Authority even if it does not recognize Israel.This is the guarantee PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas has given to his people, according to a statement Tuesday by Hamas' senior spokesman in Gaza, Ismail Radwan.All that is required is that the technocrats appointed to fill the ministerial posts in a re-constructed PA not be affiliated with any political group.

This is to say that they must not be card-carrying members of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad or the PLO.In reality this is just more smoke and mirrors which, if carried through,
will spell another diplomatic victory for the Arab side. After its landslide election win last January, Hamas will remain in de facto control of the PA, whether or not its ministers step down.