USA: ALBRIGHT CALLS ON ISRAEL TO HONOUR WYE AGREEMENT

(7 Dec 1998) English/Nat U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is calling on Israel to stick to its commitments under the Wye River peace accord. After a breakfast meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, Albright said the Wye timetable for Israel's pullback on the West Bank must proceed. Israel has warned it'll stop its military pullback on the West Bank if Palestinian violence continues. Sharon stressed that the Israeli Cabinet will apply a reciprocity test for every step of implementation. The Clinton administration is insisting a pullback of the West Bank must proceed on time despite Palestinian violence. After a breakfast meeting at the State Department with Israel's Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, Albright said the peace process must move forward. She acknowledged Israel's need to have its moves matched by Palestinian measures to shore up security. But Albright said differences need to be negotiated, and the Wye timetable needs to be met. SOUNDBITE: (English) "All those differences need to be brought to the table. That is the whole purpose of what we have been trying to do. That is how the United States will continue to push and play a useful role. Violence is not the answer. Differences need to be brought to the table and solutions can only come from negotiations." SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State Sharon stressed that Israel will not comply, unless the Palestinians do their part. He said the Israeli Cabinet has decided to apply a reciprocity test every step of the way. SOUNDBITE: (English) "If the Palestinians will not comply with the Wye agreement, with every part of it known publicly, secret, the side letters, and those things decided verbally there, Israel will not be able to continue, though we would like to continue. And, we have showed that we want to continue. We believe that every step should be taken and everything should be done on a mutual reciprocity basis." SUPER CAPTION: Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister Sharon took a tough line against the Palestinian Authority, saying it had encouraged Palestinian violence. In fact, the foreign minister called the violence an intifada, a reference to the uprising that marked Palestinian rebellion against Israeli control prior to the peace process. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew with simultaneous English Translation) "Everything has to be decided in negotiations. And, there's no doubt that the renewed intifada uprising activated and encouraged by the Palestinian Authority is in itself a very difficult and critical obstacle to the continuation of the peace process which we all wish to achieve." SUPER CAPTION: Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister Sharon said U-S President Bill Clinton would be welcomed in Israel. Clinton is due to visit this weekend. White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said the president intends to go despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lack of enthusiasm for a visit. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...