Israel ready to start withdrawing if killing stops

THE Israeli ambassador to the United States yesterday said Israel will be ready to start withdrawing troops from Palestinian territories, if terrorist attacks against Israel were halted.

“We would move tomorrow ... if there was somebody to take responsibility there and make sure that Israeli citizens are not being killed,” Ambassador daniel Ayalon told ABC's “This Week” program.

But he pointed out that Israel would like to see first the “complete dismantling of the infrastructure of the terrorists” in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the radical groups Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

The comments followed a decision by the Israeli cabinet earlier yesterday to approve a US-backed peace plan known as the roadmap, which calls for a series of mutual steps to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and create a Palestinian state by 2005. But the ministers also voted overwhelmingly to deny Palestinian refugees the right of return.

Ayalon also pointed out that the issue of Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza “will be negotiated around a negotiating table.”

The roadmap requires Israel to stop settlement activity.

Palestinian Representative to the United States Hasan Abdel Rahman, appearing on the same program, said the Palestinian were ready to implement the roadmap as long as

Israel also abided by all of its provisions.

“Requirements from Israel, first of all, to stop assassinating Palestinians, incursion into Palestinian territories, demolishing of Palestinian homes, to release political prisoners, to stop building Jewish settlements on Palestinian land,” Rahman said.