ARAFAT TELLS U.S. HIS TERMS TO RENEW PEACE TALKS.Byline: Karin Laub Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has written to President Clinton demanding that any U.S. peace initiative contain an Israeli pledge to stop building Jewish settlements on disputed land. The appeal came two days before Clinton, trying to restart peace talks, was scheduled to meet in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli TV reports said Clinton was expected to ask Netanyahu to freeze settlement construction for the duration of the peace talks with the Palestinians. State Department spokeswoman Sharon Bowman said she couldn't comment on the report. Clinton wants to revive peace talks that broke off when Israel began construction last month of a Jewish neighborhood in disputed east Jerusalem East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. It includes Jerusalem's Old City and some of the holiest sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, such as the Temple Mount, Western , which the Palestinians claim as a future capital. Arafat sent Cabinet minister Hanan Ashrawi Dr. Hanan Daoud Khalil Ashrawi is a Palestinian scholar and political activist. She is a protege and later colleague and close friend of Edward Said. Ashrawi was an important leader during the First Intifada, served as the official spokesperson for the Palestinian Delegation to the to Washington to meet with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Madeleine Korbel Albright (born May 15 1937) was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on December 5 1996 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate 99-0. She was sworn in on January 23 1997. and Dennis Ross Dennis B. Ross is an American author and political figure who served as the director for policy planning in the State Department under President George H.W. Bush and special Middle East coordinator under President Bill Clinton. , the U.S. coordinator for the Middle East. In Tel Aviv Tel Aviv (tĕl əvēv`), city (1994 pop. 355,200), W central Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea. Oficially named Tel Aviv–Jaffa, it is Israel's commercial, financial, communications, and cultural center and the core of its largest , a peace rally drew some 10,000 Israelis. Opposition leader Shimon Peres, the architect of the peace accords with the Palestinians, told the crowd that Netanyahu must resume negotiations immediately. Peres dropped several hints in his speech that he was ready to bring his Labor Party into Netanyahu's right-of-center government if asked. If Netanyahu is serious about negotiating a peace agreement, he may have to bring in Labor to neutralize his far-right coalition partners. Israel TV's Channel 2 said Saturday that Netanyahu has decided in principle to bring in Labor, but was waiting for the right time. Arafat's letter to Clinton warned that if the peace process collapsed, Israel and the Palestinians would be headed toward confrontation, Israeli radio stations reported. Both Israel and the Palestinians have set conditions for resuming talks. Israel demands that Arafat move decisively to rein in to check the speed of, or cause to stop, by drawing the reins. to cause (a person) to slow down or cease some activity; - to rein in is used commonly of superiors in a chain of command, ordering a subordinate to moderate or cease some activity deemed excessive. See also: Rein Rein militants and halt the protests. The Palestinians say Israel must stop settlement construction in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip For the West Bank and Gaza Strip please see one of the following:
Arafat's letter said any U.S. plan for restarting the talks would have to contain five basic points, including a stop to settlement construction, recognition of the principle of land-for-peace and affirmation that previous agreements must be carried out, said Arafat spokesman Marwan Kanafani. The Palestinian Cabinet said in a statement Saturday that the Clinton administration Noun 1. Clinton administration - the executive under President Clinton executive - persons who administer the law ``must put real pressure on the government of Israel to stop the Judaization of Jerusalem and to stop settlement building,'' in east Jerusalem. Washington must move decisively now to stop construction, ``and the credibility of the United States hangs in the balance,'' the statement said. The White House had no comment on the statement, though U.S. officials have signaled that the issues of violence and settlements would be raised in the Clinton-Netanyahu meeting. |
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