U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell reasserted Washington's position it would no longer deal with Yasser Arafat and said U.S. officials had embarked on a diplomatic effort to bring reluctant Europeans on board.
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Powell told Reuters he would soon meet fellow members of a "quartet" of Middle East peacemakers, and Arab leaders, for fresh talks aimed at ending 21 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The envoys are expected to address differences between the United States and its European and Arab allies over Arafat's future.
Powell maintained the United States was not trying to dictate to other countries involved in peacemaking but said if they wanted to talk to Arafat they should deliver the same message as President Bush did. "This requires some change in the way that we're doing business and until we see that, we don't think we can work with the current leadership of Chairman Arafat," Powell said.
Meanwhile, an Israeli minister said Arafat and his "gang of murderers," including his lieutenant Marwan Barghuoti, should be put to death. Minister without portfolio Effi Eitam, leader of the extreme-right National Religious Party, was speaking Thursday on public radio after being quoted by the daily Maariv as making similar remarks in a speech in a Tel Aviv synagogue.
According to the report, Eitam said that Barghouti, who was detained by Israeli troops in Ramallah on mid-April on suspicion of involvement in anti-Israeli attacks, should be "taken into a field and shot in the head." "He deserves death, but we brought him to Israel and are now obliged to concern ourselves with his legal status," he said.
He also reportedly said that if it were up to him, "Arafat would be dead in 15 minutes, along with all of his gang."
When the interviewer questioned him on the validity of the quotations in Maariv, Eitam said, "I am surprised that you take offense on behalf of such murderers. You almost remind me of Jibril Rajoub, he was also offended that the change of command in the gang." Eitam also said, "Arafat is a crazy murderer who should be killed," according to Maariv.
Eitam is a former general whose party is considered the voice of Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territories. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
