Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon today agreed to allow Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres meet Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat.
Mr Peres also agreed to meet British Foreign Minister Mr Jack Straw, having originally cancelled their meeting because of comments by British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw.
The confirmation of the Peres-Arafat meeting comes after the US ambassador to Israel, Mr Daniel Kurtzer, called for an immediate meeting between the two.
The first hint that a meeting was in the offing came this morning when Mr Arafat called off what would have been his first visit to Syria in eight years.
It had been reported a last-minute request from the Syrians was the reason for the cancellation.
Earlier, Mr Sharon and Israeli President Mr Moshe Katzav cancelled talks with Mr Straw, accusing him of making remarks that could be interpreted as justifying terrorism against Israelis.
A statement released by the British embassy in Tehran in Mr Straw's name on Sunday said: "I understand that one of the factors which helps breed terrorism is the anger which many people in this region feel at events over the years in Palestine".
Sources in the Israeli prime minister’s office said Mr Sharon would not meet Mr Straw because of anti-Israeli remarks which were one-sided and sympathetic to Palestinian terrorism.
The sources said Mr Straw had changed the balanced policy of Britain since he came into office three months ago.
But after a phone call between Mr Sharon and British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair, who the Israeli spokesman described as "a true friend of Israel", the meeting was rearranged.
AFP &