Qureia: We'll party the day after
P.A. prime minister talks with reporters in Ramallah, envisions scenario following disengagement: oil reserves, Gaza port, and an airport without Israeli interference; real estate deals reached 'under the table' will not be recognized and property will not be handed out to bigwigs
RAMALLAH - The Palestinians are preparing to celebrate the disengagement from Gaza, "a small but dear part of our homeland," Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said Thursday.
But, for those worried about the image of Palestinians wildly dancing on the rooftops, Qureia was reassuring.
"The celebrations will be cultured and quiet, in order to prove to the world that we are a civilized people who can rule themselves and control our own affairs," he said.
With less than a month to go before the Gaza pullout, and only a few hours before the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region, Qureia spoke with reporters in Ramallah, in a bid to update them about Palestinian preparations for the Israeli withdrawal.
Fair and square
The property and infrastructure Israel plans to leave behind will be managed in a proper fashion, he said.
“We will not divide it among ourselves - the senior officials,” he said. “Everything will be conducted with complete transparency. It is the right of every citizen to know who things are being handled.”
The PA, clarified Qureia, has established a committee to manage any infrastructures Israel may leave behind following pullout.
“Whoever plans to trade this land, state-owned land, will do it at his own risk and will be open to prosecution,” he said, referring to any deals made “under the table.”
The Palestinians have decided upon an overall plan for border crossings, a plan that will be assisted by the international community, he said.
According to Qureia, there is an understanding between Israel and Egypt that following pullout, the Rafah crossing would become an Egyptian-Palestinian crossing.
Airport in Gaza?
Israeli businessmen and investors are welcome to continue working in the Erez Industrial Zone, as long as they operate according to Palestinian law, Qureia said.
In addition, he announced the PA’s intention to invest USD 100 million in developing a port in Gaza. However, in regards to an airport, Qureia said at present no agreement has been reached with Israel.
“We want the airport to operate according to an Area A status - with complete Palestinian control,” he said. “They (Israel) want it to be status B - with Israeli security control. I don’t understand, if they are planning to withdrawal from Gaza anyway, why would they want to continue controlling a part of our land?”
In regards to agricultural land and hothouses left behind by settlers, Qureia said the PA would not compensate the settlers for this property.
“The Israeli disengagement plan was a unilateral decision not coordinated with us, and so we are not committed to pay anything for any part of the plan,” he said.
To conclude, Qureia said the disengagement must be part of a broader diplomatic process.
“The pullout is only a small part,” he said. “Our aspiration and position is a Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders, including Jerusalem and the cancellation of the construction of the security fence and settlements. “
