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Barak, Arafat Meet, Promise Clinton to Pursue Deal
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat held their first talks in two months and promised President Clinton to ``exhaust every possibility'' in a search for peace, Barak's office said.
Despite the pledge there was no immediate indication after Monday's night-time meeting, which lasted more than two hours, that any progress had been made toward breaking a deadlock on key issues such as the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were due to leave on Tuesday to resume peacemaking in the United States, with time fast running out for an agreement on a final treaty.
Clinton telephoned Barak and Arafat during their talks, ''conducted in a very good atmosphere and in a positive spirit'' in Barak's private residence in Kochav Yair in central Israel, the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement.
``The two men told the president they are determined to make every effort and to exhaust every possibility in order to reach an agreement,'' said the statement, issued while the talks were under way.
``They even told Clinton they had instructed their teams, which are setting out for Washington in a few hours, to do everything they can toward bridging the gaps and not to spare any time or effort in pursuing the objective of examining any path that will lead toward progress.''
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters the meeting was conducted in a good atmosphere but declined to give details.
He said: ``We are going to Washington to consult with the American peace team.''
In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said he would not describe the planned meetings as a ``round'' of talks, suggesting the negotiators may not stay long. Jews have religious holidays for 48 hours starting at sundown on Friday.
The negotiators may or may not meet each other, depending on how the talks evolved, Boucher added.
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