Palestinians confirm new Cabinet, ending stalemate

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, left, chats with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at the Palestinian parliament in Ramallah on Wednesday. PHOTO: EPA

Palestinian Israeli leaders talked about the need for peace after President Yasser Arafat swore in the Cabinet he wanted, ending a two-month internal stalemate that had stymied contacts over an end to three years of violence and progress along the US-backed "road map" plan.

The Palestinian parliament approved Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia's new Cabinet on Wednesday by a vote of 48 to 13 with five abstentions, after a two-month vacuum that followed the resignation of the first premier, Mahmoud Abbas, on Sept. 6.

In another development, a Palestinian was sent from the West Bank to Gaza by the military. Moshref Bethor arrived in Gaza early yesterday, Palestinians said, the second to be expelled this week. Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was not among 18 who recently received expulsion orders but had agreed to go to Gaza for two years instead of serving time in jail.

But Bethor said he had no idea he was being taken to Gaza. He said he thought he was being taken to a different detention facility for further questioning.

Qureia Arafat, addressing parliament before the vote, blamed Israel for three years of violence, but both called for an end to the bloodshed.

Arafat appealed directly to the Israelis.

"The time has come between us and you ... to get out of this cycle of destructive war ... the last three years of this destructive war are enough," he said.

Qureia for implementation of the "road map" plan, which calls for a halt to violence and leads through three stages to a Palestinian state in 2005, requiring the Palestinians to dismantle violent groups and the Israelis to halt settlement construction in the West Bank -- steps neither has taken.

"We call on both sides to stop targeting civilians and work to bring about a mutual ceasefire with clear and agreed upon terms," Qureia said. "Let's help each other stop this cycle of hell."

Speaking Canadian fund-raisers Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not refer directly to the new Palestinian Cabinet, but he repeated his peace offer.

"We are prepared to make painful compromises for the sake of real peace," he said, but ruled out compromises over security issues. He did not elaborate.

Arafat's as the power behind the Qureia government troubled both Israel and the US. They had called for sidelining Arafat and turning authority over to Qureia and his government, but Arafat retained control.

However, the Israelis were not quick to write off prospects of accommodation with the new Palestinian team, possibly reflecting public impatience with the Sharon's government's inability to restore calm.

"If the new Palestinian government is serious about pursuing peace and takes action to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, they will find Israel to be a real partner," said Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

Raanan Gissin, Sharon's spokesman, urged Qureia to bring a halt to militant attacks on Israelis and consolidate the security forces under one authority.

"We're prepared to give Ahmed Qureia a grace period and judge him by the results," Gissin said.