Clinton to move on US crisis meeting

WASHINGTON - President Bill Clinton may hold separate meetings with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in hopes of ending weeks of bloody confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Clinton has set "no specific preconditions" for the proposed meetings, officials said.

But they stressed that Washington wanted to see progress in implementing a ceasefire accord reached at a crisis summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Palestinians fear any hope of returning to peace negotiations is dwindling while Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, leader of Israel's Opposition Likud party, propose an emergency unity government.

Sharon, who Palestinians blame for the eruption of the latest violence, said he wanted Barak to annex parts of the West Bank if Arafat declares a state.

With the Army forecasting a long conflict with the Palestinians, Barak also appeared to be sending signals that a land grab would be part of Israel's response to a unilateral move to statehood, expected as early as November 15.

"What are the areas Israel will hold on to if Arafat unilaterally decides on establishing a state?" was one of the questions Sharon asked of Barak as their talks continued yesterday.

"If we receive satisfactory answers, I will bring [the issue of joining a national emergency government] to the party's central committee, which will decide," he said.



In an unsourced report, Israel's Channel Two television quoted Barak as telling cabinet ministers "that we have to consider annexation of up to 10 per cent of [the West Bank] if there is a unilateral declaration" of a Palestinian state.



Annexation of land Israel occupied in the 1967 Six Day War would almost certainly spell the end of the peace process and draw international condemnation.

But with Israelis rallying round the flag as bullets fly, opposition at home to cementing a foothold - possibly around Jewish settlement blocs - could be muted.

"The most important thing is for others to see that there is unity in Israel ... I support the establishment of an emergency government," Sharon told Channel Two.

Barak has accused Arafat of choosing "the path of conflict" to force Israel to surrender its vital interests. But a spokesman for Arafat said: "Barak was the one who initiated the escalation against our people. Barak will fail to impose what he needs by force on the Palestinian people."

Another two Palestinians were killed in clashes yesterday, raising the death toll from almost a month of bloodshed to 132. All but eight of the dead have been Palestinians or Israeli Arabs.

An Israeli tank fired three shells at the West Bank town of El-Bireh after nightfall yesterday, destroying a building where gunmen were shooting at the settlement of Psagot, the Army said.

Guns fell silent for the first time in days along a firing line between the settlement of Gilo on the outskirts of Jerusalem and the Palestinian town of Beit Jala. Israel had threatened a stronger response to attacks on Gilo.

Beit Jala residents had expressed anger that gunmen had come from outside the town to shoot at Gilo and Palestinian police said they would punish any attackers.

- REUTERS

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