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Israel's Oslo Architect, Arafat Discuss Escalating Conflicts
Israel's key Labor Party member Yossi Beilin met with Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat Wednesday afternoon in the West Bank city of Ramallah to discuss the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
Beilin, an architect of the 1993 Oslo peace accord, said after the meeting that the most important message he had heard was that the Palestinians were prepared to resume negotiations unconditionally, Israel Radio reported.
Beilin, former justice minister in Ehud Barak's cabinet, added that the proposal put forward by senior Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Amed Qurei (Abu Ala) and the "Jordanian-Egyptian proposal" which demands that military security cooperation link with political talks highlight the growing feeling in the Palestinian Authority that the current situation cannot continue.
The Israeli leadership has rejected the "Jordanian-Egyptian proposal," which also calls for the implementation of the Sharm el Sheikh ceasefire agreement reached last October, the third withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank and the resumption of peace negotiations of the final status issues such as border, water, Jerusalem, Jewish settlements and Palestinian refugees.
Abu Ala has raised new proposals, calling for the implementation of previous agreements, lifting of closure on the Palestinian territories and a halt to the Israeli policy of assassination and transfer of funds Israel owes to Palestinians.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel Radio also quoted unnamed officials as saying that the proposals can serve as "positive foundations" for future talks.
Ron Pundak, one of the Palestinian architects of the Oslo accord, and Faisal Husseini, the Palestinian Jerusalem affairs minister, were also present at Beilin-Arafat meeting.
The meeting came after the Israeli army entered the Palestinian controlled Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, smashing 11 structures suspected of serving as bases for mortar attacks on settlements and Israeli army positions.
As a result, two Palestinians were reportedly killed and more than 50 others injured.
It was the first time that Israeli army has carried out a massive operation in the Palestinian-controlled area since the outbreak of the current Palestinian Al-Aqsa Intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation six months ago.
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