LONDON, May 5: The Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations entered a second unscheduled day of talks on Tuesday, after a day of hectic hotel hopping in which no progress appears to have been made. The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was ready to return yesterday having accepted in full a US peace deal which is yet to be published. He was persuaded to stay another day, in the expectation of a break through and a face to face meeting with the Israeli President.But there was little sign of progress this morning. US State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters, ``We are still having a lot of trouble being optimistic based on what we are hearing.''
According to diplomatic sources in London, the Israelis want more meetings scheduled away from London. They have demanded guarantees that the Palestinians do not declare themselves an independent state and take ``firmer action'' on terrorist suspects. They have also demanded that there should be no reference to a ``time out'' on Jewish settlements onArab land.
The crux of the peace settlement is a land for peace agreement: return of occupied Arab lands in return for greater security for the Israelis. Since the Oslo Accords of 1993, Israel has handed over seven major West Bank towns, most of an eighth, and sections of the Gaza Strip to Palestinian self-rule. However, it has failed to hand over three segments of the occupied West Bank, which were mentioned in the agreement. This, and Israel's failure to halt the building of new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, have been the main reasons for the 14 month impasse in peace process.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
