Arafat's role tops diplomatic agenda
By Avi Machlis in Jerusalem and Alan Beattie in Washington
Published: May 5 2002 20:51 / Last Updated: May 5 2002 21:36
Yassir Arafat's role in finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Middle East was on Sunday moved to the top of the diplomatic agenda as Egyptian leaders lined up behind the Palestinian leader and Israel stepped up its campaign to marginalise him.
Ahmed Maher, the Egyptian foreign minister, on Sunday became the first senior Arab official to meet Mr Arafat since Israel lifted its siege of his office compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah last week.
"We are here declaring that we support President Arafat and the Palestinian people in their mission to achieve their goals," Mr Maher said.
But as they met, Israeli officials pressed ahead with efforts to discredit Mr Arafat as a potential negotiating partner to end 19 months of bloodshed and revive peace talks.
Ariel Sharon, Israeli prime minister, was flying to Washington on Sunday night with a dossier attacking Mr Arafat, prepared by Dani Naveh, a cabinet minister.
Mr Naveh released a 100-page report including documents seized during Israel's military offensive in the West Bank last month, which he said proved Mr Arafat was "personally involved in directing terrorist activities" against Israelis.
Mr Sharon is expected to rely heavily on the report in his meetings with senior US officials in Washington this week and with President George W. Bush on Tuesday. Mr Sharon wants to persuade Mr Bush that the Middle East peace conference being planned by Washington should not include Mr Arafat - although official US policy remains that Mr Arafat is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Ariel Sharon will also meet administration officials including Colin Powell, the secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser.
Ms Rice said yesterday that the US strategy of using friendly Arab states including Egypt and Jordan to put pressure on the Palestinians was beginning to have an effect.
But although declining to back the Israeli view that no peace deal was possible with Mr Arafat leading the Palestinians, she said that the Palestinian leadership had so far failed to create the circumstances which might lead to a Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces in the West Bank killed a Palestinian woman and two children when they opened fire after their tank was hit by aroadside bomb. The army said the incident was a mistake. The Israeli army also made an incursion into the West Bank town of Tulkarm at the weekend.
