Netanyahu, Arafat still at loggerheads over peace talks

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eased travel restrictions Thursday between the Palestinian towns of Hebron and Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is not impressed by the move.

On the heels of US envoy Dennis Ross's departure from the region, Netanyahu said that the main impediment to restarting the peace talks in earnest is still Arafat's unwillingness to crack down on suspected terrorist organizations. Arafat countered by stating that Israel is fighting the Palestinian Authority instead of terrorism, and that if the Israeli restrictions result in starvation, "disaster" could result.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright confirmed that she would definitely make her first visit to the region in support of peace talks, probably in September.