Prime Minister Ariel Sharon welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech on Monday calling for the cessation of all terrorism, violence and incitement as the first step for diplomatic progress. Palestinians, though openly pleased with Powell's call for an Israeli settlement freeze and the end of "occupation," were disappointed with a lack of concrete action in the American prescription for achieving peace in the Middle East.

Sharon announced Monday night that he had established

"Terror and violence must stop and stop now" - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell

"a negotiating team - in conjunction with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres - to conduct negotiations toward achieving a cease-fire with the Secretary of State's special representatives, Assistant Secretary of State William Burns and [retired US Marine Corps] Gen. Anthony Zinni." Burns and Zinni are due to arrive in the region this weekend.

Sharon added that the "State of Israel shares the U.S.'s commitment to the Tenet and Mitchell agreements, in which it was precisely determined how to make progress in the direction that we all hope for - toward quiet and peace, a peace which will enable Israel to enjoy secure borders as per UN Security Council Resolution 242, with Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital."

Peres said that Powell's speech "was positive, full of good will, especially the part where he demonstrated the friendship and commitment of the United States to Israel's security." Peres said the government was already committed to not building new Jewish settlements in the West Bank and in Gaza and claimed that Israel "would also like to put an end to the occupation.''

Israeli officials said that there were no surprises in Powell's foreign policy speech, presented Monday at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Powell's declaration of an American "vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders" had already been stated by President George W. Bush in his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week. And Powell's statement that Israeli "settlement activity must stop" was consistent with previous American declarations.

Particularly welcome in Israel was Powell's call for a complete cessation of Palestinian violence: "Whatever the sources of Palestinian frustration and anger under occupation, the Intifada is now mired in the quicksand of self-defeating violence and terror directed against Israel. Palestinians need to understand that, however legitimate their claims, they cannot be heard, let alone be addressed through violence," Powell said.

Powell went further by also demanding the end of incitement against Israel. "No one can claim a commitment to peace while feeding a culture of hatred that can only produce a culture of violence. The incitement must stop," he declared. Powell called on all countries in the Arab world to accept Israel and to commit to a negotiated settlement.

Powell skirted two of the most problematic issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Regarding Palestinian refugees he stated, "The two parties must strive for a just solution that is both fair and realistic" but also insisted, "Palestinians must eliminate any doubt once and for all that they accept the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state. They must make clear that their objective is a Palestinian-state alongside Israel, not in place of Israel, and which takes full account of Israeli's security needs."

Powell declared the future of Jerusalem "a challenge which the two parties can only resolve together through negotiations, taking into account the religious and political concerns that both will bring to the table. Any solution will also have to protect the religious interests of Jews, Christians and Muslims the world over," he stated.

Powell did not refer in his speech to Israel's demand for a period of seven days of quiet before proceeding with the implementation of the Tenet plan and the Mitchell Commission Report. Instead, he sent Burns and Zinni to the region indefinitely to work with high-level Israeli and Palestinian committees to achieve a cease-fire. "Get that cease-fire in place and other things can start to happen. Without that cease-fire, we are still trapped in the quicksand of hatred," Powell said.

Palestinians pleased, but want concrete action
Publicly, Palestinian officials expressed satisfaction with Powell's speech. Palestinian Planning Minister Nabil Shaath said, "For the first time, the United States is speaking about ending Israeli occupation. For the first time, they are speaking about a viable Palestinian state.''

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he had expected Powell to present a clear timetable for the implementation of the Mitchell Report. "The Palestinian people must only hope that the Americans will this time turn to actions and to providing the needed means to implement his declarations," said Palestinian Minister Hanan Asfur.

But Palestinian sources were disappointed with Powell's minimal reference to the subject of Jerusalem, ynet reported. The sources said Powell did not present anything new, and that even his discussion of settlements "was not focused enough." Palestinians were reportedly also upset that Powell referred to the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze'evi but did not mention Israel's targeted killings of Palestinian leaders.

The Palestinian state media virtually ignored all elements in Powell's speech that were critical of the Palestinian Authority, reported Michael Widlanski, a senior analyst at The Media Line. The media ignored Powell's criticism of terror, instead stressing the American demands of the "Tel Aviv government."

Palestinian state radio did acknowledge Powell's vision that "Israel and Palestine live side by side within secure and recognized borders" but totally disregarded his lead-in remark that "Palestinians must eliminate any doubt, once and for all, that they accept the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state."

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