The Palestinians set three conditions Thursday for an eventual meeting between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, according to Palestinian International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath.
The decision on the "venue, time and date of the meeting will require diligent work," Shaath said at a press conference in Gaza City, while accusing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of being the main obstacle to the summit, AFP said.
For it to happen, Palestinians need "a clear mandate to Peres from Sharon ... good preparation ... and a clear indication that this meeting will discuss political issues and not only the security issue," he said.
"It is very clear that what Sharon says and does is what's blowing up this meeting and what's causing President Arafat great anxiety about any usefulness of that meeting," Shaath said. "The problem is not Shimon Peres, the problem has been and is Ariel Sharon.
"When he says that he's very happy that the meeting has not taken place, how can President Arafat expect that Sharon has any willingness to delegate Mr. Peres anything that will come out usefully from that meeting," he asked.
Top Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP on Wednesday that the Palestinians would suggest a date for the summit after Arafat met with Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Sunday.
The talks could be held any time "after Sunday," he said.
No venue has yet been decided for the meeting, brokered by German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer in an attempt to bolster a ceasefire and resume dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.
Rudeineh’s remarks came as Israel intensified security in occupied Jerusalem to prevent further suicide bomb attacks, and attacked a Palestinian base in the northern Gaza Strip, wounding a member of the Force 17 presidential guards.
EU foreign policy chief Javeir Solana earlier said that he hoped Peres would meet with Arafat "in the near future."
A Palestinian source who asked not to be named told AFP another such meeting could take place Wednesday evening in occupied Jerusalem.
"I think we need more preparation for the next Arafat-Peres meeting. We want this meeting to be successful. We don't want a meeting only for the sake of a meeting. We want results," he said – Albawaba.com
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