Palestinian Minister of Supplies Abdel-Aziz Shaheen railed against Mordechai's decision. We should have stronger mass confrontation. Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Some 130,000 Jews have settled amidst the nearly two million Palestinians in the territories since Israel captured them in the 1967 Middle East war. In a related matter, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem demanded Mordechai rescind a ban prohibiting Palestinians from travelling on a new bypass road in the West Bank that links Jewish settlements with Jerusalem.
China is at a critical junction.
The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959, said he was hopeful that the successor of ageing paramount leader Deng Xiaoping would agree to talks on Tibet's future. It is my belief that the next few years will be crucial. The Dalai Lama, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his peaceful campaign for Tibetan autonomy, said the Tienanmen massacre in Beijing in 1989 had failed to silence calls for freedom, democracy and human rights in China. The Dalai Lama said it was time for the international community to reassess its policies towards China in order to influence Beijing's attitude towards Tibet and to ensure China emerges from its transition as a reliable, peaceful and constructive member of the international community. Today, I wish to reiterate our willingness to start negotiations with China anytime, anywhere without any preconditions.