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After delay, Israeli-Palestinian meeting moves forward
June 8, 1997
Web posted at: 9:29 a.m. EDT (1329 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli delegates began talks with Palestinians in Cairo on Sunday after threatening to stay home because of reports that Israel had promised to freeze housing construction.
The two sides agreed Saturday to revive the stalled peace talks. But Israel reacted swiftly to reports Sunday that a Palestinian official said the Jewish nation agreed in principle to "pause" construction.
Walter Rodgers, Jerusalem bureau chief, reports on Sunday's Mideast events The possibility of a breakthrough in Mideast talks (29 sec./328K AIFF or WAV sound) The pressures on Yasser Arafat (38 sec./438K AIFF or WAV sound) Arafat and Netanyahu must sit head to head (31 sec./337K AIFF or WAV sound) Israeli officials said its delegates would not participate in the talks unless the Palestinian Authority retracted the statements. Shortly afterward, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Israel had made no such commitment and that the talks would move forward.
"I wish they did. They did not," Erekat told The Associated Press.
"There is no agreement with the Israeli side."
The talks were now slated for 10:30 a.m. EDT. Peace talks have been deadlocked for three months since Israel gave the go-ahead for the construction of a 6,500-unit housing project in Jerusalem.
Israel: No commitment made
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also said that Israel had made no commitment to the Palestinians. The Israeli team's departure was delayed for about an hour Sunday while Israel waited for a Palestinian denial of the report.
"In the wake of the denial, the Israeli delegation is leaving for Cairo," the prime minister's office said after Erekat delivered his comments.
Meanwhile, Erekat emphasized that for progress to be made Netanyahu must reconsider his position on housing construction.
"Mr. Netanyahu knows what is needed to get the peace process on track," Erekat said.
Nabil Abourdeneih, a spokesman for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said the Palestinians had asked Israel to stop settlement building and had received "no serious offer from the Israeli side. ... Nothing new at all."
PLO official sparks Israeli outrage
Arafat spokesman Marwan Kanafani sparked the disagreement on Sunday when he told Reuters from Cairo of Israel's "acceptance in principle of a 'pause' in settlement activities." He said this had cleared the way for a meeting.
PLO officials said the meaning of a "pause" was vague.
On Saturday, Israeli radio and television reports, quoting unidentified sources, said Israel had agreed to a temporary halt in the construction of the Jerusalem housing project, as well as Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Shortly afterward, the Cairo meeting between Israeli Cabinet Secretary Danny Naveh and Erekat was announced.
Reuters contributed to this report.
- Newsmaker profile: Benjamin Netanyahu
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