LISBON, 1 July — Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres huddled yesterday in Lisbon in an effort to end nine months of bloodshed, amid fresh new violence back home. Even as Peres and Arafat, who shared in the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, spoke of their desire for peace, Syria and Lebanon delivered a strong warning to Israel.
Syria and Lebanon declared that they would hold Israel responsible “for any new attacks,” following the Jewish state’s airstrikes on south Lebanon after a raid Friday on Israeli soldiers by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.
News was brighter in Lisbon, where Peres and Arafat met overnight for three hours at Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres’ residence to discuss ending the violence, in which nearly 630 people have died, the vast majority of them Palestinians.
Peres told reporters yesterday that his late night meeting with Arafat “was not a negotiation. It was only a conversation, but even a conversation can serve to clarify certain points.” Peres also called for full implementation of a US-led peace plan after meeting Arafat to discuss the Middle East crisis. The plan should be put into force “without any reductions or additions or deviations,” Peres told Reuters at a meeting of the Socialist International.
Arafat and Peres shook hands before addressing the conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Socialist International. The organization groups labor and socialist parties world-wide. Arafat called for more European Union observers in Palestinian-ruled territories. He said three West Bank towns had been calm since the observers had arrived. “We welcome the dispatching of more European observers to the other areas that are exposed to Israeli aggression,” Arafat said.
Meanwhile, Arafat called for an international observer force and acceleration of peace talks, while speaking at the International Socialists’ conference in Lisbon. “We aspire to an urgent international initiative to establish the suitable mechanism for convening serious and definitive negotiations under international sponsorship,” Arafat said.
Peres also addressed the audience, sounding a conciliatory note to the Palestinians. “A good neighbor is better than a good weapon and we want good neighbors,” he said. “There exists in Israel a majority who want to live in peace with the Palestinians.”
Peres later vowed that Israel would carry out a settlement freeze in line with the US-sponsored Mitchell report. But good will could not dim the tide of blood back home. Gunfire and petrol bombs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank caused no injuries, but dashed hopes of the clock starting on the seven days of total quiet Israel is demanding before it will move forward with the Mitchell report’s recommendation of a six-week truce and then new political negotiations.
Later, on return to Gaza, Arafat told reporters he had accepted a cease-fire for seven days after being requested to by US Secretary of State Colin Powell when they met on Thursday. “As an appreciation to the American efforts, I told Powell we accept another seven days of cease-fire in addition to the two-week cease-fire we had agreed with George Tenet,” Arafat said.
On June 13, Israel and the Palestinians accepted a truce document brokered by CIA Director George Tenet to start a two-week cease-fire to end nine months of hostilities and bloodshed in the Palestinian territories. Arafat said that the seven-day cease-fire began on Thursday right after his meeting with Powell. Powell announced after meeting with Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon that both had accepted a cease-fire for seven days.
