US Secretary of State Colin Powell said early Saturday that he would meet with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat during the Palestinian leader's visit to New York, in order to try and jump-start the peace process.
He said the he would most likely meet with Arafat at the United Nations General Assembly, held later in the week in New York. However, the Palestinian delegation to the UN said that no such meeting had been planned, according to Tel Aviv-based Haaretz daily.
In an interview to CNN, Powell said that the reduction of violence in the Middle East could strengthen the cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians. He called upon Israel to open its borders to Palestinian workers, while he demanded that Arafat make an effort to curb the Palestinian violence.
He said that he supported the establishment of a Palestinian state, with an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians based upon the land-for-peace principle.
Meanwhile, Palestinian officials accused the United States on Saturday morning of bowing to Israeli demands by deciding against negotiations between US President George W. Bush and Arafat during the weekend UN gathering in New York, said the paper.
Washington also faced criticism of its Middle East policy from Saudi Arabia, despite its efforts to unite Arab states behind its anti-terror coalition and air strikes in Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal has voiced his disappointment over Washington’s refusal to arrange a Bush-Arafat meeting, according to TV reports.
Arafat is slated to leave for New York later Saturday. He will address the entire assembly Sunday. In recent days it was unclear if Arafat would attend.
US National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice said Thursday that President George Bush had no intention of meeting with Arafat because the Palestinian president was not doing enough to prevent terror.
Bush will address the general assembly Saturday. Administration officials said that his speech will briefly comment on the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will also depart Saturday for the United States. He will meet with Powell on Sunday and will speak at the UN during the week.
TERRITORIES OR THETERRITORIES
According to Haaretz, citing Israel Channel Two, Peres is working on a new diplomatic plan whereby Israel would recognize a Palestinian state in those areas already under Palestinian Authority control, Channel Two Television reported Friday night.
According to the report, Peres will present his plan to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during a meeting at Sharon's ranch in the Negev on Saturday.
The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter published on Friday the main points of the diplomatic plan Peres presented in a meeting with the Swedish Prime Minister on Thursday, Israel Radio reported.
The Peres plan calls for the final borders of a Palestinian state to be determined in negotiations based on the English wording of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for "withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict." This differs from the French wording which reads "from the territories occupied."
Such interpretation of the UN resolution has always been rejected by the Arabs.
According to the plan, the Palestinian state would not possess heavy weapons and the United States would play a major role in the negotiations. The issue of Jerusalem and the settlements would be postponed – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
