Political Contact With Israel to Be Maintained: ArafatPalestinian leader Yasser Arafat said in Cairo Sunday that he will stick to political contact with Israel despite its incessant aggressions against the Palestinians.Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestine Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei have been asked to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Gaza later in the day, Arafat told reporters after his talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher. "I have also ordered senior Palestinian security officials to continue their consultations with Israelis," Arafat said, while demanding U.S. representatives be present at such security talks. On his part, Maher said that Egypt has been supporting such meetings between the Palestinians and Israelis because the U.S. administration is right now determining to help push forward the peace process in the Middle East. Arafat met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak later to discuss the situation following a ceasefire plan concluded with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres last Wednesday at the Gaza airport. During that meeting, Arafat and Peres agreed on a package of steps to halt violence and resume mutual trust. But Arafat said that Israel has failed to implement the agreement and 18 Palestinians have since been killed in repeated clashes over the past few days. Arafat arrived in Amman late Sunday for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II about the latest developments in the Middle East. |
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