Quds city, Oct 24, SPA -- An international Mideast envoy has accused Israel of stalling in talks with the Palestinians on opening a key border crossing for the Gaza Strip and other important issues. The envoy, James Wolfensohn, wrote in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and obtained by The Associated Press, that the delays are preventing him from moving on to the larger reconstruction effort needed to revive Gaza's economy following Israel's withdrawal from the impoverished coastal strip in September. "The government of Israel, with its important security concerns, is loath to relinquish control, almost acting as though there has been no withdrawal, delaying making difficult decisions and preferring to take difficult matters back into slow-moving subcommittees," Wolfensohn wrote in the Oct. 17 letter. Israel denied it was foot-dragging, and said it had vital security considerations at heart. In his letter, Wolfensohn complained of delays in reopening the Rafah crossing along the Egyptian border, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world. Israel closed the crossing shortly before the withdrawal, saying it would be closed for six months to allow for new security and customs arrangements. The opening of the crossing is crucial for the economic recovery of Gaza, and the Palestinians and Wolfensohn are pressing to unseal it as quickly as possible. Israel has delayed decision on a key element of new border arrangements _ the deployment of foreign inspectors from the European Union, Wolfensohn wrote. He said he had hoped to wrap up an agreement during a recent trip to the region. "While the Palestinians were eager to come to closure, (Israel) preferred to leave difficult questions to committees that will not meet until after the Jewish holidays," he wrote. A month of Jewish holidays ends this week. Wolfensohn also complained that the flow of Palestinian cargo and laborers into Israel, the Palestinians' main export market, has also ground to a near halt, Wolfensohn wrote. He said the issue of crossings into Israel could be resolved within two or three days of "concentrated effort." "It is now six weeks since (Israel) has been willing to sit and discuss matters with the PA," he said. "We do not have the luxury of adopting such a leisurely approach and our Israeli colleagues have promised a greater sense of urgency immediately following the holidays and before the end of October."
