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Arafat Hopes to Meet Peres on Sunday
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 21 (News Agencies) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Friday that his long-awaited meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to consolidate a ceasefire has been set for September 23rd.
"An appointment has been made for a meeting on Sunday and we will see if it takes place," Arafat said at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
He said the meeting with Peres was due to take place on Friday but was put off. "Another appointment was made for tomorrow evening and it was also called off," said Arafat.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said earlier that his foreign minister could meet Arafat next week if there is a halt to the violence until then, while Peres himself hinted of Monday at the earliest.
"We have learned a long time ago that one cannot compromise with terror, cannot negotiate under fire," Sharon said in an interview with the CNN television news channel.
"I hope Arafat understands it and stops the fire. And I believe that next week, it [the Peres-Arafat meeting] will happen," he said.
Sharon has demanded a 48-hour period of absolute calm before the much-anticipated meeting takes place.
"I suggested last Sunday a ceasefire, I expected Chairman Arafat to announce a ceasefire ... it lasted for 18 or 20 hours, but then there was a burst of terror which did not stop for the last couple of days," he said.
Arafat on Tuesday declared a ceasefire "on all fronts," which prompted the Israeli army to announce the suspension of all its "offensive operations" against the Palestinians.
However, a Jewish settler and a Palestinian were killed Thursday in renewed violence, and several people were injured on both sides.
Peres also ruled out Friday a meeting with Arafat before the 48-hour period of calm requested by Sharon has been achieved.
"In two sunrises and two sunsets, we will meet," said Peres, hinting that the countdown had not started, and that the earliest the two men could meet would be on Monday.
The U.N.'s special coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, has described the planned encounter as the "last chance" to end the year-old wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence which has claimed more than 800 lives.
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