In his meeting with US peace envoy Zinni, expected to take place on Friday afternoon, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is expected to urge for immediate implementation of the plan worked out by CIA director George Tenet in June.
In a meeting on Thursday with the foreign minister of Norway, Arafat reaffirmed the Palestinian commitment to the peace process and the cease fire he had declared, and said that after three weeks of quiet, it is time to move ahead and to start “immediate implementation of the Mitchell recommendations and to end the military closure around the Palestinian cities”.
Israel, while admitting that violence has gone down, seems determined to prevent implementation of the ceasefire and withdrawal plan. Israeli Minster of Defense Ben-Eliezer said yesterday that the past week has been the quietest since the start of fighting in October 2000, but Prime Minster Sharon insists this is not enough.
Sharon’s pre-condition for resumption of the peace process is “seven days of complete quiet”, and although Palestinian officials point out that no Israeli has been killed in the past three weeks, Sharon is holding numerous small-scale actions and apparent failed attacks as proof that Arafat has not yet delivered the period of quiet.
CNN has reported that Israel's military actions on Thursday appeared to send a double-edged message, that it was willing to ease the tough restrictions imposed on Palestinians, but it was also demanding further crackdowns against suspected Palestinian militants. The withdrawal of Israeli forces from key towns indicated a return to normal life may soon be at hand for the Palestinians, but Israeli forces remain in positions overlooking President Arafat’s offices in Ramallah, where he is virtually held prisoner, and Israeli forces have conducted numerous raids deep into Palestinian territory over the past two days to arrest suspected Hamas militants.
It now remains to see how former American General Zinni will deal with the complicated situation thrust upon him (www.albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
