Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak repeated his willingness to seek a global solution to the Middle East crisis in a telephone conversation Friday with US President Bill Clinton, a White House spokesman said.
"The prime minister clearly indicated that he would prefer a comprehensive agreement," said spokesman P.J. Crowley, a day after Barak outlined his vision of a future interim peace deal to the Palestinians who moved swiftly to reject it.
Crowley noted that in the seven weeks the Clinton administration has left it was prepared to do everything possible "to reach an agreement."
"Any kind of discussions is obviously conditioned on an agreement by both parties to return to negotiations. There are a variety of ways of doing that and we have not ruled out any option," he added.
"There are questions that remain to be resolved between the committee and the parties. But the president impressed upon the Prime Minister the need to move ahead. It was a major topic of discussion" during the 45-minute conversation between Barak and Clinton, Crowley said.
Barak, who announced this week his readiness for another election, proposed to put off the thorniest issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees for up to three years, offering an interim accord on transfer of West Bank land to the Palestinians and recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
He also proposed Israel would have control over Jewish settlements -- WASHINGTON (AFP)
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