AQABA, Jordan (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas will declare Wednesday "the armed Intifada must end" and the Palestinians are ready to immediately begin implementing a U.S.-backed peace plan, according to a draft statement.
He will urge Palestinian militants to lay down their arms in the 32-month-old uprising for statehood and continue the struggle through peaceful means, according to the draft of a statement he will deliver at the end of the peace summit in Jordan.
"We will implement (the "road map" peace plan) firmly and without compromise. We will begin immediately," Abbas says in the draft statement obtained by Reuters at the summit with U.S. President Bush (news - web sites) and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites). "We will exert full efforts to ending the militarization of the Intifada (uprising). The armed Intifada must end and we must resort to peaceful means to achieve our goals," the draft statement says. "We repeat our denunciation of terrorism and violence against Israelis wherever they might be."
Abbas said last week he hoped Palestinian militants, including groups that have carried out suicide bombings, would agree a cease-fire in the next 20 days.
Bush hopes his personal involvement in peacemaking will provide the impetus to set in motion a "road map" to peace drafted by the United States, United Nations (news - web sites), European Union (news - web sites) and Russia.
The road map outlines reciprocal steps for ending the violence and creating a Palestinian state in 2005.
"The goal is two states -- Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," Abbas's draft statement said.
He will urge Palestinian militants to lay down their arms in the 32-month-old uprising for statehood and continue the struggle through peaceful means, according to the draft of a statement he will deliver at the end of the peace summit in Jordan.
"We will implement (the "road map" peace plan) firmly and without compromise. We will begin immediately," Abbas says in the draft statement obtained by Reuters at the summit with U.S. President Bush (news - web sites) and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites). "We will exert full efforts to ending the militarization of the Intifada (uprising). The armed Intifada must end and we must resort to peaceful means to achieve our goals," the draft statement says. "We repeat our denunciation of terrorism and violence against Israelis wherever they might be."
Abbas said last week he hoped Palestinian militants, including groups that have carried out suicide bombings, would agree a cease-fire in the next 20 days.
Bush hopes his personal involvement in peacemaking will provide the impetus to set in motion a "road map" to peace drafted by the United States, United Nations (news - web sites), European Union (news - web sites) and Russia.
The road map outlines reciprocal steps for ending the violence and creating a Palestinian state in 2005.
"The goal is two states -- Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," Abbas's draft statement said.
