Palestinian members of the joint security committee met Tuesday with U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni, to present him with their response to his bridging proposals on reaching a cease-fire, in particular on the implementation of the Tenet cease-fire plan.
Should Zinni and the Palestinian officials succeed in reaching a compromise, Israeli officials will join them in a further attempt to agree on terms for a truce.
The Palestinian Authority has said it wants a series of clarifications from Zinni before it gives him a final response.
In a meeting that ran into the early hours of Tuesday morning, the "Zinni forum" convened by Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided in principle to accept the envoy's bridging proposal for implementing the Tenet plan.
The forum, however, expressed several reservations.
Zinni's plan, which was presented to the two sides Sunday, includes a compromise between the Israeli demand that the security step contained in Tenet will be implemented over a four-week period and the Palestinian insistence on moving to the implementation of diplomatic steps - contained in the Mitchell Report - within two weeks
Israel is waiting for the outcome of Tuesday's meeting between Zinni and PA officials, during which the Palestinians will respond to the envoy's latest proposals on achieving a truce.
A final decision on Arafat's departure for Beirut will only be reached at a cabinet meeting Wednesday. The discussion will also focus on Israel's actions should the situation with the Palestinians deteriorate, in the event that a cease-fire between the two sides cannot be reached.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reports said the Qatari foreign minister, Hamed Ben-Jassem, declared he is prepared to make a public address in Jerusalem.
In a statement released several days ago, the Qatari minister said he would speak together with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Ben-Jassem's offer was conditional upon Israel allowing him to transport Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to Beirut in a Qatari helicopter for Wednesday's Arab League summit.
The Prime Minister's Office rejected the Qatari proposal, Israel Radio reported. However, Sharon is due to be interviewed Tuesday night by the Qatari television Al Jazeera. In this historic televised event, the Israeli leader is inclined to present to the Arab viewers his own peace plan. Initially, Sharon wished to present his plan to the Arab leaders in their summit in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Sharon on Tuesday voiced regret at his “commitment” not to harm Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Sharon, in statements quoted by the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, said “I made a mistake when I committed myself not to physically harm Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat”, KUNA reported.
The Israeli government had committed itself before the US administration not to harm Arafat in spite of Israeli accusations that Arafat was behind recent Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets.
Sharon has recently expressed regret that he had not killed Yasser Arafat during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
