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Israel Willing to Give Arafat More Time to End Violence
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is willing to give Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat more time to end the violence that has rocked the region, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
"The government is inclined to decide to give Arafat more time ... the prime minister is willing to give the Palestinians an extension following requests from senior world leaders and despite the fact that the Palestinians have not changed their pattern of behaviour," spokesman Nachman Shai said.
He spoke to reporters as Barak continued to weigh options with his cabinet following the expiry of a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat end the violence or risk the collapse of the peace talks.
"The government has instructed the army and police to act forcefully in areas of their responsibility in order to prevent violence," Shai added.
Barak has laid the blame for the violence firmly at the feet of Arafat, although the UN Security Council on Saturday condemned Israel for an "excessive use of force" against Palestinian demonstrators.
Almost 100 people, mainly Palestinians, have been killed since the clashes erupted over a visit by hardline opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, where sovereignty is hotly contested by Israel and the Palestinians.
Barak told the cabinet he did not rule out a summit with Arafat to try to resolve the crisis that has crippled the Israeli-Palestinian peace process although the White House said it did not believe the necessary conditions for such a meeting were in place.
"The prime minister will not refuse an invitation to attend a summit," Shai said.
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