|
|
Summit draws mixed reactions in Mideast
Hamas urges 'total confrontation'
October 3, 1996
Web posted at: 1:00 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT)In this story:
(CNN) -- The U.S.-hosted Mideast summit that tried to bridge differences between Israel and the Palestinians was labeled both a failure and a success Thursday, depending on whom you asked.
Supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cheered the Israeli leader on his return from Washington for not making concessions. But the Palestinians were downcast, and many Arabs shared the view of a Palestinian policeman in Gaza who predicted the violence was likely to resume.
Palestinians protest in Hebron Thursday "The general feeling after the failure of the summit is disappointment and helplessness," Ayman Hassan said.
In the West Bank town of Hebron, a young man -- his face covered and a rock in each hand -- appeared ready to resume the intifada, the six-year Palestinian uprising that preceded a peace agreement with Israel in 1993.
"They're all traitors, they sold us out long ago," he said, apparently referring to summit participants, including Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and Jordan's King Hussein. Arafat arrived Thursday in Morocco, where he briefed King Hassan on the two-day Washington talks.
In Iran, Tehran Radio called for a resumption of the intifada, arguing Israel "only understands the language of resistance and firmness." The Islamic resistance movement known as Hamas urged Palestinians to head to "total confrontations" with Israeli forces and settlers after Friday prayers.
Positive spin
The Clinton administration said it got what it wanted from the summit, even though Netanyahu would not set a target date for the partial pullout from the West Bank town of Hebron agreed to by his predecessors. Netanyahu also gave no commitment to close the Jerusalem tunnel that runs near Muslim holy places.
"There is more of a relationship (between Netanyahu and Arafat) now than there was before," State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns told CNN in a live interview Thursday. "But clearly they have a long way to go." (15 sec./328K AIFF or WAV sound)
But Burns said the fact that the two sides renounced violence and agreed to open continuous talks beginning Sunday in Gaza made the situation "far better off" than last week when more than 70 people were killed in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
On Thursday, the West Bank and Gaza were largely quiet. A curfew imposed by Israeli authorities in Hebron was lifted for three hours, prompting Palestinian youths to lob stones at Israeli soldiers.
'Proud of our prime minister'
"If anyone dares (to provoke Israel) he will experience the fire power of Israel's armor," Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai said Thursday in remarks on Israeli radio. "I am very proud of our prime minister -- that he stood firm and is not rewarding the violence on the side of the Palestinians with any concessions," said Baruch Sterniger, a Jewish settler in the West Bank. "If the soldiers leave ... another massacre of the Jewish people would happen," said a woman in the Jewish section of Hebron.Related developments:
- In Jordan: "(Summit) results did not match up to expectations," Information Minister Marwan Moasher told reporters in Amman. Government-run newspapers blamed Netanyahu for the outcome.
- In Syria: The official newspaper al-Baath said the summit showed the time had come for Arabs to "sever ties with Israel and freeze the multilateral talks."
- In Egypt: Government officials said the outcome was disappointing but at least managed to put talks back on track.
- In Russia: Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov will visit the Middle East later this month in a bid to give new impetus to the peace process, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.
Palestinians who hoped the quickly called Washington summit would produce concrete results were "too optimistic," former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said Wednesday night. But Peres, speaking in Los Angeles, said he remained optimistic that a peace agreement eventually would be reached.
Correspondent Bill Delaney in Hebron and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Arafat, Netanyahu agree to continuous talks - October 2, 1996
- Arafat, Netanyahu meet again - October 2, 1996
- Netanyahu, Arafat get down to talks in private - October 1, 1996
- Israelis, Palestinians skeptical about summit prospects - October 1, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- Special Section - Struggle for Peace
- Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Arab.net
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.