Israel trying to impose unacceptable terms on Arafat

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Tuesday that the reason President Hosni Mubarak advised Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat not to leave Ramallah was that he believed that Israel will use this issue to impose its terms which are totally "unacceptable',

Speaking to the CNN, Maher said Israel wants Arafat 1 accept these terms or it will prevent him from going back to the Palestinian lands.

Either Arafat attended the summit or not, all Arab leaders will defend the Palestinian cause, Maher said.

Maher said the Palestinians will continue resistance until the end of the Israeli occupation.

There are American endeavors to help the two sides reach a ceasefire but Israel is not showing any flexibility. On the contrary, Israel is trying to humiliate Arafat and this is: totally "unacceptable", Maher said.

He added that Beirut summit will send a message to the entire world and Israel as well that Arabs want to achieve peace that is based on land-for-peace principle, stressing the entire land in return for a comprehensive peace.

He warned that peace cannot be achieved while Israel is continuing to impose unacceptable conditions on Arafat, kill the innocent Palestinians and destroy their houses.

On the Israeli victims of the Palestinian suicide operations, Maher said, " we should also look to the Palestinian children and women who are killed by Israeli forces."

The Palestinians see their beloved ones killed in front of their eyes and so "we should work for a ceasefire and a political settlement".

"We are ready to work for peace and the Palestinians are ready too. We back them to go in negotiations with Israel but we hope the Israelis will accept serious negotiations with the Palestinians for peace,' he added.

Whether the Arab world is ready to accept Israel after reaching a peace agreement and not present any new demands, Maher said yes but the agreement should be fair and satisfactory to all sides.

"We will continue dialogue with the peace-loving powers in Israel that believe that the current situation cannot go on for ever, he said, stressing that Israel cannot impose dialogue on the Palestinians by force.