CAIRO - The Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, will leave Cairo for Malta today to take part in a meeting of European and Mediterranean foreign ministers. Mr Arafat is expected to tell the ministers that Israel's settlement policy in East Jerusalem is the main reason why the Middle East peace talks have collapsed. Arab countries will ask EU states to freeze relations with Israel, the Lebanese Foreign Minister, Mr Fares Bweiz, said.
The Palestinian leader met President Hosni Mubarak of, Egypt yesterday for talks. Israel said Mr Arafat had expressed an interest in meeting the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy, at the Malta talks. But PLO officials said he has ruled out a meeting with Mr Levy at this stage, adding that the resumption of peace talks depended on halting work on Har Homa, the Jerusalem hilltop where 6,500 homes for Jews are planned.
In Hebron yesterday, Jewish settlers hurled eggs and flower pots at Israeli troops but couldn't prevent them raising the height of a gate separating Jews and Arabs in the volatile West Bank city, witnesses said.
"We will not live in ghettos," shouted one of the 50 settlers who also turned water hoses on the security forces. Soldiers pushed and dragged settlers away.