Barak Can Make Peace Despite Problems at Home, Clinton Says

U.S. President Bill Clinton said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak can make peace with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat despite Barak's political problems at home.

"I think it is important to note that, ...a solid majority of the people want him to come and want him to pursue peace,"Clinton said to reporters before flying to Pennsylvania for a governors' conference.

"This is difficult. It is perhaps the most difficult of all the peace problems in the world," Clinton said.

But he noted that "both Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat have the vision, the knowledge, the experience and the ability and the sheer guts to do what it takes, ..., to reach an agreement and then take it back to their people and see if they can sell it."

Barak barely survived a no-confidence motion in the 120-member Knesset (Israeli parliament) Monday. The opposition Likud party, anxious about Barak's possible concessions to the Palestinians at the upcoming summit at Camp David, failed to muster sufficient votes to oust him.



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