Israeli, Palestinian Reactions To Aqaba “Pledges”

The landmark summit in Jordan, bringing together U.S. President George Bush and the Palestinian and Israeli Prime Ministers, Mahmud Abbas and Ariel Sharon, is aimed at boosting the roadmap for peace, which calls for a freeze to settlement activity and paves the way for the creation of a Palestinian state.

"Since the (1993) Oslo accords, 1,094 Israelis were assassinated in terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, our warnings were justified and terrorism was stepped up following the accords.

"Today, Ariel Sharon’s government is about to repeat and amplify this mistake," the statement added.

Moreover, a spokesman for Jewish settlers said – immediately after the summit closed – that Jewish settlers will oppose the dismantling of settlement outposts in the West Bank promised by Sharon.

On the Palestinian side, the biggest resistance group Hamas said Wednesday it would "stand by the Palestinian people and by the gun".

"We won’t allow anyone to give up a parcel of our land," Hamas leader Abdelaziz Rantissi told AFP, minutes after Abbas pledged to disarm the Intifada.

Another Hamas figure told Qatar-based al-Jazeera Satellite Channel that there was “huge gaps between the positions of Abu Mazen and the resistance groups”.

“For Abbas to talk about the suffering of the Jews as if it were the Palestinians’ fault is totally unnecessary and unacceptable concession. Our land and people were always generous to the Jews, and we’ve been repaid by expulsion of our people, occupation of our land, attempts to annihilate us completely,” Mahmud al-Zahhar, Hamas spokesman said.

“Neither Bush nor Sharon committed themselves to anything, why Abbas vowed to demilitarize the Intifada? What is the price? We did not hear Sharon declare his acceptance to withdraw from our occupied land, dismantle all illegal colonies, allow the Palestinian refugees – estimated at some 5 millions – to return.

“Logic says that Israel stops its crimes against our people, withdraw from our territories first, then we stop our legitimate resistance. To say otherwise is insane and will lead to nothing but more victims,” he added.

Within the same context, the Islamic Jihad group said Wednesday "resistance will continue as long as the (Israeli) occupation persists here," following a three-way U.S., Israeli and Palestinian summit in Jordan. Abbas’ pledge to end the armed Intifada was a "gratuitous offer".

Also the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) told AFP Wednesday "the resistance and Intifada will continue".

"We want to stress that the resistance and Intifada will continue and will officially inform Abu Mazen," PFLP top official Jamil Majdalani said.

These reactions, coupled with no change felt on the ground by the Palestinians – as the Israeli army continues its curfews, raids and detentions – make it pre-mature to foresee “positive results,” matching the seemingly “positive statements by the three leaders.