THE MIDDLE EAST: The Palestinian Authority president used his first address to his parliament in 18 months yesterday to condemn attacks on Israeli civilians. Mr Yasser Arafat also tried to head off calls that he appoint his deputy, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, to a new position of prime minister.
In his hour-long address, however, Mr Arafat departed from a previously distributed text, skipping over paragraphs to issue a specific ban on suicide bombings. Neither did he echo recent calls by his Interior Minister, Mr Abdel-Razak Yehiyeh, for a halt to all attacks on Israeli targets - including soldiers and settlers.
"Our national interest is to preserve international support for our legitimate right to resist the military and settlement occupation," he said. "We have to reiterate our condemnation of attacks against Israeli civilians and at the same time to any attacks against Palestinian civilians."
While his cabinet secretary had said at the weekend that the Palestinian Authority might reconsider the recognition of Israel's right to exist issued by Mr Arafat at the start of the now defunct Oslo peace process, Mr Arafat was more conciliatory. He issued good wishes to Israelis, in Hebrew, for the Jewish New Year and declared: "We want to achieve peace with you. We want security and stability for us and for you."
At the same time, he asserted that the Israeli government had seized on the crimes of September 11th "in an attempt to connect us and the Palestinian struggle to terrorism, despite the fact that we are the victims of terrorism".
Aides to the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, dismissed the speech as the "meaningless" utterances of a "pathological liar". Mr Arafat had embraced "a strategy of terror" against Israel, Mr Sharon's spokesman went on: "September 11th marked a watershed between those who are against terrorism and those who support terrorism. Arafat is among those who support terrorism."
Mr Sharon had initially contemplated either barring the gathering of the Palestinian Legislative Council altogether or blocking Mr Arafat from addressing it. In the end, Israel prevented 12 Gazan legislators from travelling to Mr Arafat's battered headquarters complex in Ramallah to attend, alleging they were "involved in terrorism". They denied the allegation, and other Gaza representatives stayed home with them in solidarity, participating in the session via video-conferencing.
The Israeli prime minister has said he will not negotiate with Mr Arafat under any circumstances, but indicated he will soon meet a senior Palestinian leader - presumed to be Mr Abbas - in whom he evidently places some trust.
Palestinian sources say the meeting may take place within days. Five Palestinian ministers are set to meet the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, today to try to avail of a lull in attacks on Israeli targets to accelerate an Israeli withdrawal from West Bank cities.
Delegates from Mr Arafat's own Fatah faction are pressing to have Mr Abbas appointed prime minister. At a second session of the Palestinian Council today, they are threatening to vote no-confidence in Mr Arafat's cabinet, which was reshuffled in June, unless such a post is created and Mr Abbas appointed.
Mr Arafat indicated yesterday he had no intention of bowing to the threat, and rather than presenting the entire cabinet for approval, may merely ask the PLC to confirm the appointments of several widely supported new ministers, including Mr Yehiyeh.
He said it was crucial to maintain "the strength of our institutions, and first of all the legislative, the judiciary and the executive, unless you want to bring someone to replace me." He added, to laughter: "I wish you would, and give me a rest."