Tzipi rules out India's involvement in W.Asia peace process

Jerusalem, Aug 17 (UNI) Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tzipi Limi has ruled out India's direct involvement in the West Asia peace process, but urged New Delhi to play an effective role in strengthening "moderate Palestinian forces to prevent terrorists controlling a future Palestine state".

''There is no scope for India's involvement in the bilateral Arab-Israel dilaogue. However,India as a major country which has tremendous clout in the world, could play an important role in sidelining and eliminating extremists and terror elements in the region'', Ms Limi told an Indian Muslim delegation, which is currently on a week -long visit to Israel at the invitation of the American Jewish Council.

"We do not not want future Palestine state to become a terrorist country as it would create more problems in the volatile region," she stated.

Ms Limi also urged Pakistan and other leading Islamic nations to extend their full support to the peace process. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had recently visited several muslim countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to evolve a joint strategy with them to give the required push to the West Asia peace process. "We would like to see symbolic gestures from the Islamic nations. It is the right time for them to lend their support to moderate groups so that a durable peace is achieved in the regio," he said.

This is the first visit of Indian muslim religious leaders to Israel.

The Muslim delegation visited Al-Aqsa mosque and offered prayers there. They also interacted with several Islamic scholars including Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari and Mr Issa Jaber, head of the tiny Muslim Abu-Gosh group.

Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed of Interfaith Harmony Foundation, Maulana Afzal, Chief priest of Nizamuddin Mosque, Maulana Omer Ahmed Ilyasi, General Secretary of Organisation of Imam and Qari Hifzur Rehman Merathi conveyed to the Minister that the prupose of the visit was to develop a dialogue between Judaism and Islam. They said that both religions preach peace and hoped that Israel and the Arab world would be able to resolve their the hprobelms amicably.

The Deputy Prime Minister firmly ruled out dialogue with the Hamas stating it represents "extremist ideology'. She stated that Hamas has not accepted Israel as a reality so it is not purposeful to have any dialogue with it. Unless it abandons violence there is no room for dialogue with the Hamas leadership'.

Ms Limi said that Israel is willing to have a "separate homeland for Palestinians. Her government accepts the two-state concept in which Palestine and Israeli countries live in peace and harmony. She admitted that stagnation in the Arab-Israel problem would not serve any purpose for the region. However, the peace process could be successful only if security of Israel is guaranteed.

The Indian delegation also met senior Parliamentarians of Israeli Knesset (Parliament) including Mr Ran Cohen and Michael Melc. Both members said that any dialogue with extremists would risk the peace process. They said fresh hopes of Israel-Palestinian reconciliation would be destroyed by including Hamas and that the international community has a moral duty to support those working for peace. "We must make it clear to all Palestinians that political progress can not be achieved through violence. They said that Hamas remains an extremist group with a murderous ideology," they said.

Maulana Jameel Ilyasi, leader of the delegation is expected to arrive here tomorrow as he deferred his visit by a couple of days in view of strong protest from various Muslim organisations against his visit to Israel.

The visit follows a trip to India earlier this year by a group of rabbis (Jewish preachers) including Rabbi Yona Metzger and David Rosen. The rabbis held detailed and extensive talks with Maulana Illyasi and Khwaja Iftikhar at that time. Soon after their arrival, the delegation also held talks with Mr David Rosen of the American Jewish Council, who urged religious leaders to condemn killing of innocent people, reject extremism and the misuse of religion for acts of violence. "Suicide is forbidden act in Islam and therefore suicidal acts can not get approval of Islamic leaders," he stated.

UNI