Peres to Meet Arafat on Ceasefire Very SoonIsraeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is expected to meet Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Yasser Arafat very soon, with the earliest date being Thursday night, Israeli sources said on Thursday.The sources said that the meeting would "probably take place" on possible dates: Thursday night, Saturday or Sunday. Media here disclosed that the meeting was slated for Sunday at the international airport in the Gaza Strip. Peres had confirmed the meeting would take place, but did not elaborate. The sources said that following the massive terrorist attacks in the United States on Tuesday, both Israel and the PNA have felt a strong sense of urgency to seek a way out of the present situation, "even to move a small step forward." The sources added that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell held phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Arafat late Wednesday, during which he said he "does not want to see a problem coming from the area." Palestinian Minister of Local Government Saeb Erekat said that Arafat has agreed to Powell's request that he meet with Peres as soon as possible. On Wednesday after the terrorist attacks in U.S., Peres and other Israeli officials spoke with Palestinian officials, urging the PNA to take actions to end all "terrorism." Israeli foreign ministry officials and Palestinian officials have been in contacts for weeks to prepare for a Peres-Arafat meeting. However, the meeting has been repeatedly postponed partly due to the violence between the two sides. Analysts believe that Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the U.S. will shed much impact on the Israeli-Palestinian bloody conflicts which have lasted for nearly a year. |
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