Palestinians urge more U.S. pressure on Israel

U.S envoy Ross meets with Arafat on Tuesday

February 21, 2000
Web posted at: 10:22 p.m. EST (0322 GMT)

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- U.S. envoy Dennis Ross prepared to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday as Palestinian officials urged Ross to apply more pressure on Israel to restart stalled Mideast peace talks.

Ross arrived in Jerusalem on Monday to do what he could to bring the Mideast adversaries back to the negotiating table. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Monday and is scheduled to meet Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday.

Barak said Monday the current impasse still can be resolved.

VIDEO CNN's Walter Rodgers looks at the latest efforts to restart the Middle East peace talks. QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Mideast Peace

"I am convinced that together with our partners, the Palestinians, we'll find a way to overcome all the problems that have appeared recently in the negotiations," he said.

But the Palestinians have said the peace talks reached a crisis because Barak neglected his Palestinian neighbors while pursuing talks with Syria and Lebanon.

A leading Palestinian official said Palestinians want Ross to take a harder line on Tuesday with the Israeli government.

"Optimism should be accompanied by positive steps by Israel, and by compelling pressure by the United States," said Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, secretary of the Palestinian Cabinet.

Barak said Monday he had new proposals to present to the Palestinians. While he did not elaborate, the Israeli daily Maariv said the package would include the opening of a new land route between the West Bank and Gaza, resolution of purchase-tax disputes and an improvement in Israel's offer to withdraw from 6.1 percent of West Bank land.

Missed deadlines

Senior Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo said he feared Barak's new offers would focus too much on secondary issues -- like the new passage and purchase tax -- in an attempt "to give the false impression that there is progress in the peace process."

The 6.1 percent West Bank withdrawal was to have been completed by January 20, and the two sides missed a February 13 deadline to reach a blueprint for a final peace treaty. The final peace treaty is due in September.

The Palestinians said they would not resume talks with Israel until Barak assures them of no more missed deadlines.

Nabil Abourdeneh, adviser to Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat, said it was "imperative" that Ross press Barak to adhere to already agreed-upon dates. But Barak reiterated that dates were "not sacred."

Jerusalem Bureau Chief Walter Rodgers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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