Arafat hails informal mideast peace pact

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 02, 2003

Arafat hails informal mideast peace pact

Yasser Arafat praised an informal Israeli-Palestinian peace pact Tuesday. In a message to the conference, Arafat called it "a brave initiative that opens the door to peace."

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Yasser Arafat praised an informal Israeli-Palestinian peace pact Tuesday.

In a message to the conference, Arafat, who had earlier been lukewarm about the mock treaty, called it "a brave initiative that opens the door to peace."

The deal calls for a Palestinian state on almost all the West Bank and Gaza and part of Jerusalem and avoids a significant return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. Although it has no official standing, it has increased pressure on the sides to do more to end more than three years of violence.

Arafat had turned down the framework of a similar deal at a failed summit called by then-President Clinton in 2000. This time, the Israeli government rejected the Geneva accord. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called it subversive and dangerous. Palestinian militants also denounced it.

The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israel says the entire city is its eternal capital.

Source: Agencies

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