(Ha'aretz) Ze'ev Schiff - Washington's decision that Arafat is not a partner for negotiations has no connection to Israel's position. Its antagonism is related to the murder of three Americans in October 2003, in a diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip. The Americans concluded that Arafat was personally responsible for the lack of a proper investigation into the incident to find the killers. As a result, American contractors are not allowed to take part in aid programs in the Gaza Strip. Washington is trying to prove to the Palestinian public that it is possible to make progress even without Arafat. Arafat has lost a great measure of international support, but he is still strong, especially when he wants to interfere with any processes and prove that without him nothing will move. The Egyptians can't do anything to him
2004-06-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive