World News 11-02-2005 An Historic Handshake who: Ariel Sharon what: Shakes hands with Palestinian president at peace summit where: Sharm el Sheik, Egypt when: Tuesday snippet: "Nine days after the Iraq elections, the Middle East witnessed another event [on Tuesday] that had until recently seemed inconceivable," says The Times, "when the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians agreed to end all bloodshed." Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian president met and memorably shook hands at a summit meeting in the Egyptian Red Sea resort, Sharm el Sheik. The influence of The White House on this announcement should not be underestimated. The new US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, met Mr Abbas in Ramallah on Monday and had dinner with Mr Sharon the night before, kick-starting what The Independent`s Donald Macintyre called "a week of the most intense Middle East diplomacy since the beginning of the Palestinian uprising four and half years ago". Ms Rice brought with her "an invitation to the White House for Messrs Abbas and Sharon," says The Telegraph, and announced "the appointment of [an Israeli-Palestinian] security co-ordinator in Lt Gen William Ward, and the promise of $40 million in aid to the Palestinians over the next 90 days." "Palestinian militant group Hamas issued a statement saying they were not bound by the ceasefire," says The Mirror`s Alexandra Williams, "while the landmark summit was greeted with a heavy scepticism on the streets." "In a West Bank coffee shop, most of the 50 or so customers did not even bother to look up from their card game to watch the televised coverage," Williams continues. "It is not difficult to understand the cynicism when 10 ceasefire announcements in the past four years have been followed by violence." And indeed the violence did not cease. On Wednesday, "gunfire from an Israeli settlement critically wounded a Palestinian man," says The Guardian. "A second Palestinian was found dead outside the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza. The body of Hassan Alami, a Hamas militant, was discovered near Gush Katif settlement with his arms blown off and burns on his face and chest." [... more]

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