Al-Quds city, Oct 24, SPA -- An international Mideast envoy has accused Israel of stalling in talks with the Palestinianson opening a key border crossing for the Gaza Strip andother important issues. The envoy, James Wolfensohn, wrote in a letter to U.N.Secretary-General Kofi Annan and obtained by The AssociatedPress, that the delays are preventing him from moving on tothe larger reconstruction effort needed to revive Gaza'seconomy following Israel's withdrawal from the impoverishedcoastal strip in September. "The government of Israel, with its important securityconcerns, is loath to relinquish control, almost acting asthough there has been no withdrawal, delaying makingdifficult decisions and preferring to take difficultmatters back into slow-moving subcommittees," Wolfensohnwrote in the Oct. 17 letter. Israel denied it was foot-dragging, and said it had vitalsecurity considerations at heart. In his letter, Wolfensohn complained of delays inreopening 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 newsecurity and customs arrangements. The opening of thecrossing is crucial for the economic recovery of Gaza, andthe Palestinians and Wolfensohn are pressing to unseal itas quickly as possible. Israel has delayed decision on a key element of new borderarrangements _ the deployment of foreign inspectors fromthe European Union, Wolfensohn wrote. He said he had hopedto 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 tocommittees that will not meet until after the Jewishholidays," he wrote. A month of Jewish holidays ends thisweek. Wolfensohn also complained that the flow of Palestiniancargo and laborers into Israel, the Palestinians' mainexport market, has also ground to a near halt, Wolfensohnwrote. He said the issue of crossings into Israel could beresolved within two or three days of "concentratedeffort." "It is now six weeks since (Israel) has been willing tosit and discuss matters with the PA," he said. "We do nothave the luxury of adopting such a leisurely approach andour Israeli colleagues have promised a greater sense ofurgency immediately following the holidays and before theend of October."--SPA1237 Local Time 0937 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/298285