WEST BANK: U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY DENNIS ROSS SAYS HE WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS

Record ID: 566093

  • Title: WEST BANK: U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY DENNIS ROSS SAYS HE WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS
  • Date: 9th May 1998
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 9, 1998) (RTV) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY BUILDING IN RAMALLAH 0.05 2. MV PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT AND AMERICAN ENVOY DENNIS ROSS SEATED AT MEETING AND SHAKING HANDS PAN RIGHT TO PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS 0.17 3. SV ROSS LEAVING MEETING WITH PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR SAAB EREKAT AND APPROACHING MEDIA 0.22 4. SCU MEDIA 0.25 5. SCU ROSS SAYING "THERE ARE DIFFERENCES THAT REMAIN. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO PRODUCE A BREAKTHROUGH." (ENGLISH) 0.46 6. MV PALESTINIAN POLICE OFFICERS SEATED 0.48 7. SCU PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATER SAAB EREKAT SAYING "WE REALLY HOPE THAT VERY SOON WE WILL SEE AN END TO THIS CHAPTER OF PROCESS AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER ON PROCESS AND THEIR WILL BE A NEW BEGINNING CALLED SUBSTANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION." (ENGLISH) 1.05 8. SCU CAMERAMEN 1.07 9. SCU EREKAT REPEATING HIS COMMENTS (ARABIC) 1.28 10. LAS PALESTINIAN FLAG FLYING 1.30 11. SCU PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT WALKING PAST MILITARY GUARD TO HIS HELICOPTER (3 SHOTS) 1.52 12. LAS HELICOPTER IN FLIGHT 1.57 HEBRON, WEST BANK (MAY 9, 1998) (RTV) 13. SCU HAMAS RALLY WITH HAMAS GREEN FLAGS / INCLUDING SMALL BOY HOLDING FLAG 2.03 14. LAS BANNER WITH PICTURE OF HAMAS LEADER, SHEIKH AHMAD YASSIN ON SIDE OF BUILDING 2.07 15. SCU HAMAS SUPPORTERS 2.09 16. SCU HAMAS ACTIVIST ADDRESSING THE RALLY 2.19 17. SLV HAMAS SUPPORTERS SEATED WITH FLAGS WAVING (3 SHOTS) 2.29 18. SCU UNIDENTIFIED HAMAS ACTIVIST ADDRESSING THE RALLY 2.40 19. SLV AUDIENCE LISTENING 2.45 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th May 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH AND HEBRON, WEST BANK
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA4XO85NJ94HBMSKA2YR40ZIC7Z
  • Story Text: The U.S.special envoy Dennis Ross has said it was hard to overcome difficulties in staging a Middle East summit in Washington on Monday, but he will continue discussions with the Palestinians and Israel to produce a breakthrough.

    Ross met Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Saturday (May 9) following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

    During their meeting Ross said there clearly were difficulties to overcome but he remained committed to a breakthrough.

    Palestinian chief negotiator Saab Erekat said he hoped there would soon be a new chapter of substance and implementation.

    In the West Bank town of Hebron a demonstration by the the Islamic Hamas extremist movement marked what it called 50 years of "catastrophe." U.S.President Bill Clinton invited Arafat and Netanyahu for more talks after U.S.Secretary of State Madeleine Albright failed at a London meeting to persuade Israel to agree to hand over 13 percent of West Bank land to Palestinian self-rule.

    Palestinians accepted the plan although they said it fell short of their aspirations.But Israel refused on the grounds of security concerns and offered to cede 11 percent.

    But despite talks between Netanyahu and Ross in Jerusalem on Friday (May 8), it is uncertain whether he would attend Monday's talks.

    He is expected to leave Israel on Wednesday to attend a pro-Israel lobby conference in Washington, leaving the hopes open for a possible White House visit some time after Monday.


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