Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Monday he was still willing to hold talks with US President Bill Clinton if the violence in the Palestinian territories eases, and rejected any "veto" over such a meeting.
"If the Palestinian violence decreases, a US-led committee is established to investigate the facts which led to the outbreak of the violence, and President Clinton invites the prime minister to meet him in order to discuss ways to achieve calm, Israel will respond positively," Barak said in a statement.
The prime minister eight days ago declared a "time-out" in the peace process after an explosion of violence across the Palestinian territories that has left more than 150 people dead, most of them Arabs.
"Any government led by (Barak), regardless of its composition, will be deeply committed to the diplomatic process," a statement from the prime minister's office quoted him as saying during security and diplomatic consultations.
But he also said: "Those who are claiming that should the violence decrease and the Palestinians honor the Sharm commitments, the prime minister should refuse to meet with President Clinton, are acting irresponsibly in the security and diplomatic spheres."
Israeli army radio said this was a deliberate reference to right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon, who is demanding a right of veto over any developments in the peace process as a condition for joining an emergency government.
Israel and the Palestinians reached understandings at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 17 to take steps to quell the violence although so far the truce has had no effect on the ground.
Clinton and Barak could meet after the November 7 US presidential elections, the Israeli press has said, although Barak's office has said there has been no formal invitation.
So far Barak has failed to seal an alliance with Sharon, who is held responsible by the Palestinians for the eruption of violence because of a September 28 visit to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, a hotly contested site in Jerusalem holy to both Jews and Muslims – JERUSALEM (AFP)
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