Barak and the Doha Islamic summit

The Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak has expressed his regret over the calls made by Doha conference in which certain Arab states taking part in the summit to boycott Israel and to declare " Jihad " against it.

Following his meeting with the US President Bill Clinton on Sunday evening and the Israeli radio quoted excerpts of it on Monday, Barak said "regrettably we see various signals issued by the Arab side," stressing that he had expected from the governments and people of the free world to think of knowing what is better for settling the dispute " the Jihad or negotiations?" He added that confrontation is not the rightful way to settle the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. He also criticized the Muslim countries which are meeting in Qatar.

When he was asked about the speeches of Saudi Arabia and Palestine in Doha, Barak said he thinks that maintaining agreement through negotiations is the best way. He noted that his government was ready at the " camp David " summit with the Palestinians to study long- term ideas " but what we have witnessed and released in Doha are but only remarks contrary to that by the Arab side."

Israeli sources expressed their conviction that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat keeps the uprising ablaze in an attempt to internationalize the conflict and alleviate the US hegemony on the mediation efforts as well as to strengthen the role played by the UN which is sympathizing with the Palestinians.

A US official said that Clinton told each of Arafat and Barak that there is no military solution for the conflict between the two sides and they have to find out a means to dismantle confrontations between them.