YOU can't dance alone. It was as simple as that, Mr Yasser Arafat said. The PLO chairman was talking about the deal with Israel over Hebron.
More than seven months after the city was due to be handed over to the Palestinians, Hebron is still in limbo. If the deal is a dance, then most observers believe the musicians have packed up and are gone, and the lights are about to go out in the hall.
Mr Arafat was speaking at a press conference in Gaza after his meeting with the EU troika led by Mr Spring. He had danced his own series of diplomatic steps to the building in Gaza known as Arafat's office.
The troika had been due to visit Jerusalem. But the Israelis said they would refuse to meet the Europeans if they insisted on visiting Orient house, the PLO headquarters. So, in what one source called a small diplomatic snub, the troika scrubbed Jerusalem off the itinerary and went to Gaza.
In his office, Mr Arafat spoke about Palestinian demands. "We are not asking for the moon," he said, only that Israel honour the Oslo accord, which was an international agreement.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Spring insisted Europe was entitled to a role in the negotiations. "We want to see the implementation of the Oslo and Madrid accords in full and as quickly as possible." There was a need for action on the ground, he said.
At the Ezer crossing between Israel and Gaza, the pace of that action was slow. About 20 trucks loaded with fruit, vegetables and flowers lined up as Israelis searched each vehicle. Jerusalem announced a lifting of the crossing closure from yesterday morning, but Palestinians are waiting until this morning to see how many of them will be allowed go to work.
Earlier, in Damascus, the Syrian President, Mr Hafez al Assad, met members of the troika and assured them that Syria was prepared to enter into negotiations on the basis of agreements reached before March. Mr Spring described the meeting as constructive.
The Tanaiste said he believed the Syrians had no desire to go to war with Israel, despite three months of speculation that a war was imminent. Mr Assad did not go into the detail of the March agreement, reached before the election of the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu. But it is based on the principle of "land for peace".
"If [Benjamin] Netanyahu maintains his position that the Golan Heights are not part of the solution then there is no solution," Mr Spring said.
Mr Spring also met King Hussein of Jordan at his palace in Amman yesterday. He described Jordan as the moderate voice in the region and said the talks centred on trade and co operative agreements with the EU.
The Syrian Foreign Minister Mr Farouq al Shara, said the meeting between the troika and Mr Assad was a success.
"It was a very successful visit and we are happy with the results of the visit . . . the EU position is identical or very close to the Arab one," Mr Shara said.
