WEST BANK: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK SAYS HE DOES NOT EXPECT PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT TO RESUME PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

Record ID: 400828

  • Title: WEST BANK: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK SAYS HE DOES NOT EXPECT PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT TO RESUME PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
  • Date: 11th November 2000
  • Summary: ARMY BASE NEAR RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 10, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK SEATED AT TABLE 0.02 2. MV ISRAELI COMMANDERS SEATED; BARAK SMILING (2 SHOTS) 0.09 3. SCU SHAUL MOFAZ ISRAELI CHIEF OF STAFF; BARAK WALKS TO MICROPHONES; SLV BARAK (3 SHOTS) 0.24 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER E
  • Embargoed: 26th November 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVABVXGJBM22D2YYMQCOM9DQEHBL
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said he does not
    expect Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to resume peace
    negotiations.

    He spoke at an Israeli military base in the West Bank town
    of Ramallah where he also commented on the morning blast just
    outside Jerusalem's old city walls.

    Mourners gathered for another funeral in Khan Younis, in
    Gaza, where they buried a Palestinian killed in clashes on
    Thursday.

    Khan Younis was also the site of a firefight late on
    Thursday night between Palestinians and Israeli forces.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said on Friday
    (November 10) he was not optimistic about the current
    Washington talks.

    He spoke during a tour of the Ayosh military base near the
    West Bank town of Rammallah and as Palestinian President
    Yasser Arafat held talks with US President Bill Clinton.

    "I would like to lower all our expectations. I don't
    expect that the talks in Washington will lead to a renewal of
    negotiations and anyway I think when talks are renewed they
    will need to take into account conclusions, especially security
    ones, that we have reached from the incidents of the last few
    weeks. I will be going to Washington on Sunday for another
    effort with the Americans to end the violence, " Barak said.

    The Israeli leader also said that if talks did not
    succeed, the army was poised to take action.

    His comments come the day after Israel killed Fatah leader
    Hussein Abayat in a helicopter attack near the West Bank town
    of Bethlehem. Two Palestinian bystanders were also killed in the
    helicopter attack and several wounded.

    His family gathered to mourn Abayat on Friday.

    Palestinians had vowed vengeance for the Israeli air
    strike.

    Fatah called in a statement on Thursday for the movement
    to retaliate violently against the occupation forces and (Jewish)
    settlers. It appealed for demonstrations on Friday and
    militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad demanded a Day of Rage.

    Israel acknowledged the risk of retaliation was high and
    on Friday morning, a bomb or grenade exploded near a group of
    Israeli policeman outside Jerusalem's walled Old City.

    Security was tight after the device detonated in a Muslim
    cemetery.

    Palestinian officials did not immediately comment on
    Friday's blast. No one claimed responsibility for it.

    The explosion, and Thursday's helicopter attack, struck new
    blows to peace hopes after six weeks of Palestinian-Israeli
    clashes that have killed at least 190 people.

    The violence marred efforts by U.S. President Bill Clinton
    to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough. He met Arafat in
    Washington on Thursday and was due to meet Israeli Prime
    Minister Ehud Barak in the U.S. capital on Sunday.

    There was overnight fighting in Khan Younis in Gaza
    followed by another funeral on Friday for a Palestinian killed in
    clashes the previous day.

    Arafat said after his talks with Clinton that the
    helicopter attack was a very dangerous development.

    Arafat takes his case for a U.N. protection force to be
    sent to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the United Nations
    Security Council later on Friday.


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