UN poised to tackle faltering ME peace

Israeli leftwing supporters light torches Saturday as they take part in the Peace Now movement march against their government, calling it to step down or to sign a peace agreement with the Palestinians as soon as possible. Photo: AFP

World leaders will jet into New York this week for the start of the General Assembly where they will discuss post-war Iraq and other critical matters, but the Middle East peace process will be high on their agenda.

However, with US attention on the Middle East distracted by daily attacks in Iraq, and against the backdrop of Israel's threat that it is prepared to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, international leaders are pessimistic progress will be made.

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"We're talking now about the principle of getting the movement forward again, and Israelis and Palestinians engaging positively in the right direction," said Jordan's King Abdullah II, who met with US President George W. Bush Thursday.

"Unfortunately, there is a lull at the moment."

Even before the gathering of world leaders kicks off Tuesday, the matter has sparked wide debate, and opposing views, at UN headquarters.

The 57th UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution demanding Israel revoke its decision to expel Arafat, after a US veto of a similar Security Council resolution Tuesday.

The non-binding assembly resolution passed by an overwhelming 133 votes. Fifteen members abstained from voting and four members -- including the United States and Israel -- voted in opposition to the measure.

The so-called "quartet" of US, UN, EU and Russian diplomats are due to meet

in a bid to resuscitate the tattered "roadmap" this week in a session that has yet to be announced.

The meeting will include US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as well as the head of EU foreign relations Javier Solana and, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

The international community has called for restraint in the region, but adherence to the roadmap appears to be falling apart amid a daily spiral of violence.

The roadmap called for a halt to violence, a freeze on Israeli settlements and reform of Palestinian institutions with a view to establishing an autonomous Palestinian state by 2005.

Concerns are also mounting that the US might have put the roadmap on a back burner due to the demands of reconstructing war-torn Iraq.

"It would be impossible today for President Bush to go in immersion at Camp David with Israelis and Palestinians for 13 days to work out an agreement," former president Jimmy Carter said this week, recalling his own experience 25 years ago amid the signing of the Camp David peace accords.