U.S. to Israel: Reopen Gaza crossings
Quartet Economic Envoy James Wolfensohn operating to restore activities at Gaza Strip's border crossings back to pre-pullout level to enable the flow of goods from Gaza to West Bank, Israel; Mofaz in response: Easing of restrictions dependant on PA’s treatment of terror; Rice to visit Israel next week
Quartet Economic Envoy James Wolfensohn is operating to restore the activities at the Gaza Strip's border crossings back to their level before the disengagement, in order to enable the flow of goods from Gaza to the West Bank and Israel.
In a meeting between Wolfensohn and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz in Washington, Mofaz promised to try and complete talks with Palestinian officials next week in a bid to open the Rafah crossing prior to Wolfensohn's return to Israel next week.
Mofaz later met with U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney.
Israeli officials denied the reports that Wolfensohn accused Israel of creating difficulties for Palestinian economic progress. An Israeli official in Washington said that in Wolfensohn's 10-page report on the situation in the Gaza Strip there is no criticism of Israel.
Mofaz told the special economic envoy that the easing of movement restrictions is connected to the Palestinian Authority's treatment of terror. The higher the drop in the level of terror, the more the movement of goods and people between Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and overseas will be improved.
Mofaz also made it clear that Israel is interested in strengthening the Palestinian economy, which will create jobs and strengthen the Palestinian Authority's power versus the terror organizations.
Also on the agenda is the upgrading of the passage of agricultural goods from Gaza to the West Bank, Israel and overseas, but Israel is not willing to upgrade the passage of goods and people while harming the security of Israeli citizens.
Crossings: Preferred target for terror attacks
The area of the border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip and between the West Bank and Israel has served in the past few years as a target for terror attacks.
Terror organizations took advantage of the crossings in order to execute terror attacks against IDF soldiers and security forces stationed there, and attempted to cross the terminals in order to execute a terror attack in Israel's home front.
In the past five years, Israel has alternately closed the various terminals and reopened them according to evaluations of the situation and intelligence warnings.
In northern Gaza's Karni border terminal, used for the transportation of goods, terrorists carried out a number of attempts to hit IDF soldiers and Israel Airports Authority employees stationed there.
In one of the terror attacks in 2004, six Israel Airports Authority employees were killed. Last year, two terrorists who infiltrated the terminal using a double-walled shipping container, executed a terror attack in the Ashdod port, killing 10 Israelis.
Only recently, Fatah planned on infiltrating terrorists through the Karni terminal into Israel, and the defense establishment attributed the plan to the senior Fatah member killed in the Israel Air Force's operation in Jabalya on Tuesday.
The Erez crossing, used for the passage of goods and workers from the Gaza Strip into Israel, served as a target for terror attacks, as well as the crossings in southern Gaza Strip.
Defense establishment officials estimate that the terror attempts will continue in the near future, adding that when the IDF withdraws from the Strip and the Palestinians take control, these attempts might even increase.
Mofaz clarified this issue during his visit last week to Egypt. In meetings with President Hosni Mubarak and with Egyptians defense and intelligence ministers, Mofaz made it clear that the opening of each terminal is conditioned on the completion of security arrangements – meaning, Israeli supervision or international supervision and, simultaneously, the incorporation of technological means that will enable Israel to control and supervise the crossings between the Strip and Egypt, because the lack of Israeli supervision may allow the passage of numerous weapons and terrorists.
Rice to visit Israel on Monday
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Israel on Monday in order to attend the 10th anniversary of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and speak in a conference organized by the Saban Center.
In addition to her participation in the two events, Rice will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Rice is expected to exert increasing pressure on the Palestinians to start working on dismantling the terror infrastructure, and on Israel to remove as much as possible the security restrictions delaying the Palestinian economic development.
Sean McCormack, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, announced Thursday that Rice's visit to the Middle East will also include Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Rice, being a practical secretary of state, will search in her visit for ways to lead to a discussion between Israel and the Palestinians. Rice will also examine ways to increase the speed of transporting Palestinian goods, using technological improvements, without harming Israel's security.
McCormack made it clear Thursday that Rice will remind the parties' representatives of the obligations they took upon themselves in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
Rice will remind the Palestinians of how the Palestinian Authority can increase the efficiency of the security services in the immediate range and in the long range, how they can be utilized in order to protect Palestinian citizens, prevent terror activities and dismantle the terror organizations, he said.
Rice will also remind Israel of its obligations in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement to vacate Palestinian towns and release Palestinian prisoners.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
