http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=24641

Israeli defence minister says meetings between Olmert and Abbas will not lead to peace
Date: 10 / 08 / 2007 Time: 11:18

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak says Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert's meetings with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, will not lead to a final peace agreement.

Speaking to the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, Barak was quoted as saying "What will determine the situation in the end is if Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) and (Palestinian Prime Minister) Salam Fayyad are capable of implementing anything in the West Bank."

Fantasy

He described the idea of Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank in the near future as "fantasy."

He said withdrawal was not an option until a solution was found to Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. This can only be solved by implementing a missile defence system which could take up to five years.

Roadblocks

Barak also said he would not endorse the removal of any of the roadblocks in the West Bank, despite the promises made by Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert this week to do so.

Barak was prime minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. He took part in the Camp David 2000 Summit with Yasser Arafat and former US president Bill Clinton, which ended without an agreement being reached.