Pessimist Palestinians expect no breakthrough in Whye talks
The sudden arrival of King Hussein of Jordan to Washington on Tuesday evening has pushed some fresh blood into Palestinian hopes but the overall assessment so far is that the talks in Whye Plantation between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu will end with a complete failure.
Palestinian sources in Ramallah ruled out any possibility of a deal being reached in the upcoming few days between President Arafat and Netanyahu. The sources estimated that the three-way summit might continue right through the week with the hope of cutting a deal on the Israeli second and third phases of redeployment in the West Bank.
"The talks will continue and we hope that the participation of King Hussein in the Whye Plantation summit can contribute to solving the present stalemate in the talks," a senior Palestinian source said Tuesday evening. He reacted to reports from Washington, which said that King Hussein of Jordan was on his way later in the day along with President Clinton to attend the meetings between President Arafat and Netanyahu. The official, meanwhile, played down what he termed groundless feelings of optimism saying that the talks in Washington are too tough to end with an agreement.
"The USA is trying to achieve an agreement. Yet I cannot say that there is an agreement," Palestinian representative to Washington, Hassan Abdul Rahman, said. He told Voice of Palestine Radio station that all the difficulties have risen because of the Israelis " whose stands so far have caused the current impasse." He said the Palestinian negotiators in Whye Plantation are doing their best along with the American officials "but I can say that the ball is now in the Israeli court." Abdul Rahman confirmed that the Palestinian negotiators have rejected the partial agreements proposed by the new Israeli foreign minister, Ariel Sharon, and said that the US ideas that were forwarded to both the PNA and Israel more than six months ago form the grounds of any agreement in Washington. "Either we reach a comprehensive agreement or else there will be no agreement," he said.
One of the controversial issues that both President Arafat and Premier Netanyahu have failed to settle was the question of extradition in which Israel demands that Palestinian wanted for killing Israelis and living in the PNA areas be extradited for trial in Israel. Palestinian Preventive Security Chief in the West Bank, Colonel Jibril Rajoub, said it is impossible for the PNA to extradite any Palestinian to Israel "since we have our laws and we are able to take all the necessary legal measures against those who infringe the PNA sovereignty."
Rajoub stressed his forces are acting within the sovereign areas of the PNA and that it is none of any body's authority to interfere in the implementation of law and order in the PNA-controlled areas. Rajoub said the Israeli repeated claims with regard to security cooperation with the PNA are the main excuse Premier Netanyahu is using to frighten the Israelis and to export fear among them because of domestic internal politics.