LONDON - Participants at the London Conference to Promote Palestinian Reforms condemned Friday’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv in their closing statement.
The parties expressed their determination to ensure terrorism does not thwart diplomatic efforts, and welcome Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ pledge to bring those behind the attack to justice
Earlier Tuesday, world powers on Tuesday demanded immediate Palestinian action to catch those behind a Tel Aviv suicide bombing that broke a fragile ceasefire with Israel.
'We are very upset at the quartet statement'
Palestinians responded angrily to the statement by the Middle East quartet comprising the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States, while Israel complained that Palestinians were failing to crack down on terrorists.
The quartet met on the sidelines of a London meeting on Palestinian reform hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and clouded by Friday's suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub, in which five people were killed.
The group called for "Immediate action by the Palestinian Authority to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators" And demanded "Further and sustained action" Against terrorism.
"We are very upset at the quartet statement," said a Palestinian official who asked not to be identified.
He said the Palestinians had condemned the bombing, but Israeli travel restrictions were hampering efforts by Palestinian security services to find those behind it.
"They (quartet members) are putting security as the first approach as if they want the occupied Palestinians to give security to their Israeli occupiers," the official said.
The Tel Aviv bombing had undermined the truce declared by new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a summit three weeks ago.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, meanwhile, attacked Abbas for trying to win the cooperation of Palestinian militant, not crush them.
"I am very sorry the Palestinian leadership is still hesitating over its need to fight terror," Shalom said.
"It has to be clear that as long as they don't take the strategic decision to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, we cannot truly advance towards peace," he told army radio.
The verbal fireworks threatened to overshadow the London meeting's efforts to underpin efforts by Abbas to implement reforms, halt violence and resume peacemaking with Israel after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
'Reforms must be backed by peace talks'
Participants, who included U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as well as Arab and European foreign ministers, told Israelis and
Palestinians to meet their obligations under the road map.
Rice said her point man on Palestinian security reform, William Ward, would move to the region, where he will coordinate security contacts between the two sides.
A Palestinian official said Ward was welcome. "We need him to be a witness to the actions of both sides," Mejdi al-Khaldi, an aide to Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa, told Reuters.
Abbas told the meeting that reforms must be backed by peace negotiations with Israel, saying security efforts could collapse unless supported by a "Serious political track".
Rice also said that although it was vital to stop violence by terrorists, Israel must also do its part.
"Israel must take no actions that prejudice a final settlement, and must help ensure that a new Palestinian state is truly viable. A state of scattered territories will not work,” she said.