US TRIES TO SAVE MIDDLE EAST PLAN !
The US secretary of state is in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to salvage a planned peace conference.
Condoleezza Rice has conceded her latest trip is unlikely to produce a breakthrough on an agreed text for the US-sponsored conference next month.
The Palestinians have renewed a warning that without a tightly-worded document, they will not attend the conference.
The Israelis say they do not believe an agreed text is necessary.
After a first round of talks with Israeli leaders on Sunday, Ms Rice's aides indicated the conference might have to be postponed unless an agreement is reached regarding the statement.
Ms Rice's motorcade was delayed for a quarter of an hour by a security alert during which her vehicle took cover in an Israeli fire station.
Earlier, the UN human rights envoy to the Occupied Territories strongly criticised the Quartet group trying to promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying it is not doing enough to challenge Israel's restrictions on the movement of Palestinians.
Condoleezza Rice has conceded her latest trip is unlikely to produce a breakthrough on an agreed text for the US-sponsored conference next month.
The Palestinians have renewed a warning that without a tightly-worded document, they will not attend the conference.
The Israelis say they do not believe an agreed text is necessary.
After a first round of talks with Israeli leaders on Sunday, Ms Rice's aides indicated the conference might have to be postponed unless an agreement is reached regarding the statement.
Ms Rice's motorcade was delayed for a quarter of an hour by a security alert during which her vehicle took cover in an Israeli fire station.
Earlier, the UN human rights envoy to the Occupied Territories strongly criticised the Quartet group trying to promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying it is not doing enough to challenge Israel's restrictions on the movement of Palestinians.
Speaking to the BBC, John Dugard said he thought the UN might soon need to withdraw from the Quartet - made up of the UN, the US, the EU and Russia - because it was "failing in its duty to the Palestinian people".
The BBC correspondent in Jerusalem says it is unusual for such criticisms to be voiced publicly.
A UN source in Jerusalem dismissed Mr Dugard's comments, saying his views were well known and went well beyond his brief.
"Membership of the Quartet does not stop the secretary general or the UN from speaking out on human rights.
"But it does give it a changes to have influence in reaching a two-state solution to the conflict," the UN source told the BBC.
In his role as a UN special rapporteur, Mr Dugard has been visiting the West Bank and Gaza for the past seven years.
Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN secretary general to present reports on human rights to the organisation. They are advisers and do not decide UN policy.
"Every time I visit, the situation seems to have worsened," he said in a BBC interview.
"This time, I was very struck by the sense of hopelessness among the Palestinian people."
Mr Dugard attributed this to "the crushing effect of human rights violations", and in particular Israeli restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement. He said that although Israel did have a threat to its security, "its response is very disproportionate".
He said the purpose of some of the checkpoints in the middle of the West Bank was to break it up "into a number of cantons and make the life of Palestinians as miserable as possible".
The BBC correspondent in Jerusalem says it is unusual for such criticisms to be voiced publicly.
A UN source in Jerusalem dismissed Mr Dugard's comments, saying his views were well known and went well beyond his brief.
"Membership of the Quartet does not stop the secretary general or the UN from speaking out on human rights.
"But it does give it a changes to have influence in reaching a two-state solution to the conflict," the UN source told the BBC.
In his role as a UN special rapporteur, Mr Dugard has been visiting the West Bank and Gaza for the past seven years.
Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN secretary general to present reports on human rights to the organisation. They are advisers and do not decide UN policy.
"Every time I visit, the situation seems to have worsened," he said in a BBC interview.
"This time, I was very struck by the sense of hopelessness among the Palestinian people."
Mr Dugard attributed this to "the crushing effect of human rights violations", and in particular Israeli restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement. He said that although Israel did have a threat to its security, "its response is very disproportionate".
He said the purpose of some of the checkpoints in the middle of the West Bank was to break it up "into a number of cantons and make the life of Palestinians as miserable as possible".
BBC NEWS REPORT.
posted by jackaranda at 2:08 pm
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