Palestinian - Israeli talks. Ross is back but no practical results
Palestine, Politics, 10/22/1997

Hours after US Special Envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross left the region back to the US, a senior Palestinian official said the latest trip of the US mediator has failed and warned that a new wave of violence might hit the region again. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, media advisor to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, said the Ross mission failed to bridge the differences between the PNA and Israel and stressed that the crisis of confidence is still deep due to Israel's refusal to carry out the second and third phases of its troop redeployment in the West Bank. Abu Rdeineh added that the Israelis must realize that the only solution is establishing an independent Palestinian state "otherwise the situation will keep deteriorating."

PNA Minister of Higher Education, Hanan Ashrawi, said that due to the strategic relation with Israel, the US Administration refrains from exerting any kind of pressure on Israel and called on the Arab countries not to allow any illusion with regard to the US stand on the Middle East conflict. She said that the US Administration has on so many occasions in the past been ready to face the whole world and side with Israel at the United Nations in order to provide protection to Israell.

The meeting between Arafat and Mordechai ended without any practical results, but was conducted in a positive atmosphere and a mutual promise was made to try to accelerate the negotiations. Arafat reportedly promised during the course of the meeting to intensify his "fight against terror" albeit he did not unequivocally promise to carry out any specific measures.

The goal of the meeting was to rebuild trust between the security chiefs in the PNA and in Israel. The relations between the two parties have been in an on-going crisis since the commencement of the construction of Harhoma Jewish settlement on Jabal Abu Ghaneim in East Jerusalem and were were not reinstated in the wake of the two suicide bomb attacks in Jerusalem. By way of this meeting, Ross wanted to create a dynamic that would bring about the resumption of the working relations between the two parties. Such a working relation would serve as an important factor to convince more of the Arab countries to attend the Doha International Economic Conference, due to open next month in Qatar.

Ross had attended the meeting between Arafat and Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordachai and senior Palestinian and Israeli security officials. Both Palestinian and Israeli sources agreed that no progress was achieved in the meeting, though it was reportedly held in a friendly atmosphere. President Arafat described his meeting with Mordechai as an important one saying that both sides have discussed a number of issues, including bilateral relations and security-related matters. Arafat told reporters that in the two-hour meeting that it was agreed to meet again to discuss the outstanding issues. Arafat stressed that no progress has been achieved yet and said that all matters related to the Gaza International Airport, Gaza harbour, the free passage between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the release of Palsetinian prisoners and the cessation of all settlement activities are still being discussed within the framework of the negotiating committees of both the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said that Colonel Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Preventive Security forces in the West Bank had left Wednesday to Washington on a two day visit during which time he is due to meet with Congressional officials and members of the congressional committee for foreign affairs. Rajoub is also expected to meet CIA officials and discuss with them measures the PNA has taken to maintain law, security and order in the PNA areas.

Previous Stories:
  Arafat to fight corruption   (10/20/1997)
  Hanan Ashrawi on latest developments   (10/15/1997)
  Hamas and Arafat and the King   (10/7/1997)

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