Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat pledged to President Bill Clinton to try to stop Israeli-Palestinian violence but no peace breakthrough resulted from their talks last night, the White House said this morning.
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Palestinian leader: Yasser Arafat |
During two separate meetings at the White House President Clinton sought to clarify Mr Arafat's questions about a prospective peace deal the US is trying to broker.
President Clinton plans to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ehud Barak by phone today and then talk by phone again to Mr Arafat as Mr Clinton tries to negotiate a last-gasp peace deal before leaving office on January 20th.
The White House said President Clinton will decide how best to proceed after talking to Mr Barak and Mr Arafat.
The main sticking points are over the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland and Palestinian sovereignty over the Jerusalem holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Arabs as al-Haram al-Sharif.
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Mr Arafat's team said the Palestinian leader plans to leave Washington this morning to attend an Arab League meeting on the latest US peace initiative in Cairo.
Mr Arafat’s adviser Mr Nabil Abu Rdainah said after the meeting: "During the meeting it was agreed that contacts between Presidents Arafat and Clinton will continue. We will wait to see the results of the American efforts within 24 hours."
Another Palestinian official said there was no US pressure on the Palestinians to give their response immediately to the US parameters of the possible deal.
Reuters/AFP