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Israeli leaders meet with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State of Middle East Affairs William Burns Monday night. (AP)
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| By Ellis Shuman May 29, 2001 |
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Israeli and Palestinian security representatives are scheduled to meet tonight in talks organized by U.S. Middle East envoy William Burns. Despite a busy weekend of shuttle diplomacy, Burns failed to get Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to accept calls for a cease-fire.
Tonight's security talks, the first to be held since April, will reportedly deal with security issues on the West Bank and will be followed by a second meeting tomorrow night dealing with the Gaza Strip.
Richard Roth, acting assistant secretary for Near
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"Israel continues to show restraint, but is nearing the limits of its patience"
- statement released by Prime Minister's Office
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Eastern affairs, said the United States supported Israeli-Palestinian security talks. "We think that any effort to bring down the violence would be positive, including a meeting of the responsible security officials from both sides,'' he said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
According to Maariv, the United States has assured Israel that the talks would be "real and honest," with the goal of establishing security cooperation between the sides, in contrast with the unproductive talks held in the past.
The ynet website reported today that the Palestinians are demanding a meeting between Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and U.S. President George W. Bush in return for their agreeing to renew security talks with Israel. ynet's unidentified Palestinian source said security chiefs Muhammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub would not attend tonight's talks due to alleged Israeli attempts on their lives recently.
Arafat rejects cease-fire
In its Hebrew edition, Ha'aretz said that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat flatly rejected Israel's call for a cease-fire. Envoy Burns reportedly relayed this to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Benyamin Ben Eliezer when whey met last night.
Israeli leaders had previously met with Burns on Sunday, when Sharon stated, "Israel accepts the Mitchell report, including the outlines it set out." At the meeting Ben Eliezer reportedly told Burns that there had been 96 Palestinian terrorist attacks, including car bombings and suicide attacks, since Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire last week.
In his meeting with Arafat in Ramallah on Sunday, Burns said that he urged Arafat "to do everything possible to stop such attacks."
According to media reports, the Palestinians presented Burns with a proposal that calls for a sequential approach with a clear timetable. The Palestinians suggested a two-week period for the implementation of a cease-fire and a simultaneous declaration by Israel that it accepts the Mitchell report, including a total settlement freeze.
Following the talks, senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians view the "the Israeli closure and the siege and the continuation of settlement activity as the highest form of violence."
Despite the Palestinian rejection of a cease-fire, Israel is presently upholding its commitment to a unilateral cease-fire, even in the wake of continued Palestinian terror attacks. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's office stated, "Israel continues to show restraint, but is nearing the limits of its patience, since our utmost commitment is to protect the lives of our citizens."
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