Courtesy of ISN News
Leading Israeli and Palestinian politicians are meeting in Madrid, Spain on Friday.
It is the second such session to begin within 24 hours.
On Thursday talks began in London and continued on Friday.
The Palestinians in Madrid are represented by Muhammad Dahlan and Nabil Sha’ath.
The Israeli delegation is headed by coalition whip Gidon Sa’ar.
Despite showing support for various unofficial Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the Road Map is still the only peace proposal on the table.
The Road Map is the officially-adopted initiative sponsored by the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
Powell says there will be no negotiations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yassir Arafat.
Powell was speaking on American public radio.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has given the strongest indication to date that he may be prepared to forcibly remove the residents of a Jewish village in the Gaza Strip.
Asked by a journalist about the future of Netzarim, Sharon said he could not guarantee anything.
Analysts say Sharon may be considering unilaterally evacuating Netzarim to show the Palestinians he is serious about a peace deal, that will include sweeping Israeli territorial concessions.
Israel’s Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi has banned an Arab politician from visiting prisons.
Hanegbi says member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, Abdelmalik Dehamshi, could well have been passing information between Palestinians convicted of acts of terrorism.
Israeli authorities are also alleging Dehamshi was inciting security prisoners against Israel.
Dehamshi is denying the charges.
Meanwhile, hawkish Jewish Knesset members are calling on their parliamentary colleagues to lift Dehamshi’s immunity from prosecution.