Peace Deal Unlikely This Year: Israel

Minister sets sights on 'declaration' with Palestine
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 11, 2008 7:06 PM CST
Peace Deal Unlikely This Year: Israel
Palestinian security officers loyal to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also known Abu Mazen, aim their guns during a military training in the West Bank town of Jenin, Monday, Feb 11, 2008. A close ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's on Monday appeared to scale back expectations for reaching...   (Associated Press)

Israel and Palestine probably won't sign a peace deal this year but could agree on a "declaration of principles," a top Israeli minister said today. The announcement by Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon follows weeks of warnings that a peace treaty could topple Israeli's coalition government, and that Palestine's president lacks the influence to fulfill such a deal.

Ramon's statement also clashes with President Bush’s goal of brokering a peace agreement during his presidency. But Ramon added that a declaration could contain enough details to “lead to a Palestinian state” within two or three years. "It has to be detailed enough in order to implement it in the years that will come after 2008," he said. (More Israel stories.)

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