Village Journals
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
It's All About The Money
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How much does Aid influence war and peace?
How much does a nations economy direct it's willingness to invade? other countries willingness to invade it?
Does all this aid matter at all in regards to the conflict?
Bush pledges $50 million in aid for Palestinians By Wafa Amr and Steve Holland
1 hour, 56 minutes ago
President Bush pledged $50 million in aid for the Palestinians on Thursday and gave an unusually tough message to Israel to halt settlement expansion and other steps that could block a final peace deal.
Standing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a White House Rose Garden news conference, Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah to consult with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before Israel's planned August pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Abbas, the first Palestinian president to visit Washington since peace talks collapsed in 2000, complained of Israeli settlement activity and said he was leaving with increased confidence of Bush's active role in restarting the talks.
"Time is becoming our greatest enemy," Abbas said. "We should end this conflict before it is too late."
Bush's announcement of U.S. aid to the Palestinians for Gaza Strip projects was a symbolic gesture of support for Abbas, who has sought money to be channeled directly to the Palestinian Authority instead of through third parties.
"To help ensure that the Gaza disengagement is a success, the United States will provide the Palestinian Authority $50 million to be used for new housing and infrastructure projects in the Gaza," Bush said.
Officials said the $50 million will be put into a special account the Palestinian Finance Ministry will be able to access with agreement from the United States for specific projects.
The United States each year provides Israel more than $2 billion. Washington has approved $200 million for the Palestinians this year, and Bush has asked for another $150 million for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. But that money is typically restricted because of congressional concerns about Palestinian Authority corruption and ties to terrorism.
SETTLEMENTS AND THE WALL
Bush devoted much of his opening statement to insisting that Israel must take into account Palestinian concerns about Jewish settlements dotting the West Bank and the path of a barrier Israel is building in the name of security but that Palestinians say is a land grab.
"A viable two-state solution must ensure contiguity of the West Bank, and a state of scattered territories will not work. There must also be meaningful linkages between the West Bank and Gaza," he said.
Bush also repeated his demand that Israel stop West Bank settlement expansion.
"Israel should not undertake any activities that contravenes road map obligations or prejudices final status negotiations with regard to Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. Therefore Israel must remove unauthorized outposts and stop settlement expansion," Bush said.
And he said "any changes to the 1949 armistice lines must be mutually agreed to," referring to Israel's borders before the 1967 Mideast war. That comment stood in contrast with a letter Bush sent to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a year ago saying Israel would not be expected to give up all the West Bank. Palestinians said this promise had prejudiced the outcome of future negotiations.
The U.S. president said Israel's barrier wall "must be a security rather than political barrier and its route should take into account, consistent with security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities."
Palestinian officials were delighted with Bush's remarks, with one saying it "exceeded our expectations." Israel had no immediate comment.
Washington is eager to revive the stalled peace "road map" and is hoping the Gaza pullout will help.
Before agreeing to resuming peace talks, Sharon has demanded Abbas do more to halt militant violence, which has broken out again from time to time despite the a February cease-fire.
Bush said the Palestinians have work to do to help jump-start the peace process, such as fighting corruption and reforming Palestinian security services, but did not repeat demands that the Palestinians disarm and dismantle militant organizations.
"The United States and the international community applaud your rejection of terrorism," he told Abbas. "All who engage in terror are the enemies of a Palestinian state and must be held to account."
(Additional reporting
How much does Aid influence war and peace?
How much does a nations economy direct it's willingness to invade? other countries willingness to invade it?
Does all this aid matter at all in regards to the conflict?
Bush pledges $50 million in aid for Palestinians By Wafa Amr and Steve Holland
1 hour, 56 minutes ago
President Bush pledged $50 million in aid for the Palestinians on Thursday and gave an unusually tough message to Israel to halt settlement expansion and other steps that could block a final peace deal.
Standing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a White House Rose Garden news conference, Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah to consult with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before Israel's planned August pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Abbas, the first Palestinian president to visit Washington since peace talks collapsed in 2000, complained of Israeli settlement activity and said he was leaving with increased confidence of Bush's active role in restarting the talks.
"Time is becoming our greatest enemy," Abbas said. "We should end this conflict before it is too late."
Bush's announcement of U.S. aid to the Palestinians for Gaza Strip projects was a symbolic gesture of support for Abbas, who has sought money to be channeled directly to the Palestinian Authority instead of through third parties.
"To help ensure that the Gaza disengagement is a success, the United States will provide the Palestinian Authority $50 million to be used for new housing and infrastructure projects in the Gaza," Bush said.
Officials said the $50 million will be put into a special account the Palestinian Finance Ministry will be able to access with agreement from the United States for specific projects.
The United States each year provides Israel more than $2 billion. Washington has approved $200 million for the Palestinians this year, and Bush has asked for another $150 million for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. But that money is typically restricted because of congressional concerns about Palestinian Authority corruption and ties to terrorism.
SETTLEMENTS AND THE WALL
Bush devoted much of his opening statement to insisting that Israel must take into account Palestinian concerns about Jewish settlements dotting the West Bank and the path of a barrier Israel is building in the name of security but that Palestinians say is a land grab.
"A viable two-state solution must ensure contiguity of the West Bank, and a state of scattered territories will not work. There must also be meaningful linkages between the West Bank and Gaza," he said.
Bush also repeated his demand that Israel stop West Bank settlement expansion.
"Israel should not undertake any activities that contravenes road map obligations or prejudices final status negotiations with regard to Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. Therefore Israel must remove unauthorized outposts and stop settlement expansion," Bush said.
And he said "any changes to the 1949 armistice lines must be mutually agreed to," referring to Israel's borders before the 1967 Mideast war. That comment stood in contrast with a letter Bush sent to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a year ago saying Israel would not be expected to give up all the West Bank. Palestinians said this promise had prejudiced the outcome of future negotiations.
The U.S. president said Israel's barrier wall "must be a security rather than political barrier and its route should take into account, consistent with security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities."
Palestinian officials were delighted with Bush's remarks, with one saying it "exceeded our expectations." Israel had no immediate comment.
Washington is eager to revive the stalled peace "road map" and is hoping the Gaza pullout will help.
Before agreeing to resuming peace talks, Sharon has demanded Abbas do more to halt militant violence, which has broken out again from time to time despite the a February cease-fire.
Bush said the Palestinians have work to do to help jump-start the peace process, such as fighting corruption and reforming Palestinian security services, but did not repeat demands that the Palestinians disarm and dismantle militant organizations.
"The United States and the international community applaud your rejection of terrorism," he told Abbas. "All who engage in terror are the enemies of a Palestinian state and must be held to account."
(Additional reporting