European peace envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos (C) holds hands with Arafat(R) and Abbas (L)

RHODES, Greece, May 2 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Against a backdrop of mounting American and Israeli calls to sideline Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, especially after the appointment of his Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, European foreign ministers underlined Friday, May 2, that Arafat remains a key player in any bid to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The top diplomats, holding informal talks on the Aegean island of Rhodes, unanimously agreed that Arafat "has played and continues to play an important role, and to leave him to one side would be dangerous for the legitimacy" of Abbas, said a spokesman for the Greek presidency of the European Union.

For the 15-member Union, "Arafat is not an issue... The real issue is the application of the roadmap," the plan drafted and endorsed by the United States, EU, United Nations and Russia, envisaging a Palestinian state by 2005.

Abbas said Sunday, April 27, that he would not travel abroad to meet foreign leaders unless Israel lifts restrictions on the movements of Arafat.

"I will not travel anywhere before Israel lifts a siege on President Arafat so that we can get a guarantee he will be able to go abroad and come back freely without Israeli objection," he told reporters.

Welcoming the appointment of Abbas, U.S. President George W. Bush said he would invite the new Palestinian premier to the White House but without Arafat.

"I looked at the history of Arafat... And I believe Abu Mazen is a man dedicated to peace and I look forward to working with him for the two-state solution," Bush said.

The Greek presidency and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, attending talks dominated by EU efforts to heal divisions, underlined the "great success" represented by the publication of the blueprint on Wednesday, April 30.

"We mustn't only talk about the failures of the Union but also the successes. The Road Map is a great success for the common foreign policy," said Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, cited by his spokesman.

The European foreign ministers also agreed to "remain friendly with Israel, but firm on the application of the roadmap," he said.

Difficult Route: Solana

Renewed violence in the Middle East shows that implementing the "roadmap" will be tough, Solana said Friday, while praising positive signs.

The latest unrest "shows that the task is not going to be easy," he said.

"But I have the conviction that everybody is going to put the utmost goodwill and constructive attitude so that this opportunity will be used positively," Solana said.

He praised both Israel and the Palestinians for their attitude towards the roadmap, which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005, calling the Israelis' stance "constructive" and the Palestinians' "positive."

"But again, the situation is not easy. The task we have ahead of us is going to be difficult but we have to try, to try very hard to implement it," he said.

Solana is planning to leave on May 11 for a week-long trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to promote the road map.

"I hope that this window of opportunity which is open will be used by everybody intelligently and constructively," he said.

Few hour after receiving the roadmap peace plan, Israel’s occupation forces stormed Thursday a densely populated Gaza City area, cordoned off a four-storey building and massacres 13 Palestinians, including a two-year-old toddler and two teenagers, just to kill a “wanted” Hamas activist.