Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said in Cairo Thursday that he proposed to Israel holding peace negotiations in the Egyptian resort of Taba, where "important" decisions had been taken with the late Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin, reported AFP.
Arafat told a press conference, after a meeting with Presideny Hosni Mubarak, that he made the proposal to Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami during their talks late Wednesday, and that Ben Ami replied that his government "would think about the proposal."
Arafat and Mubarak met alone for an hour before their aides joined them, reported the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
The Palestinian President was due to meet Arab League secretary general Esmat Abdel-Meguid later in the day.
Ben Ami, according to Haaretz, said that Israel and the Palestinian Authority should conduct marathon negotiations over the next few weeks, in an effort to reach an agreement before the elections on February 6.
A source close to the foreign minister told the daily Wednesday that Arafat agreed to this proposal, and said that he would be interested in agreeing on a framework for a final-status agreement, but would not settle for any kind partial agreement -- Albawaba.com
