Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat arrived in Bethlehem today in his first trip outside his West Bank base of Ramallah since Israel lifted its siege of his compound almost two weeks ago.
In a seperate development, Israel's ruling Likud Party voted last night, against any future establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Likud vote came at a heated party convention in Tel Aviv and marked a victory for former Israeli leader Mr Benjamin Netanyahu over Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon in a battle for the party leadership.
Mr Sharon had told the assembled party members Palestinians must end violence and reform their political structures before he would allow any talk of them establishing a state.
The party preferred the harder message delivered by Netanyahu, who vowed: "A state with all the rights of a state, this cannot be, not under [Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat, nor under another leadership, not today, nor tomorrow".
Palestinian chief negotiator Mr Saeb Erekat said the vote endangered any hope of an agreement. He said it showed the true intentions of Israel and would increase frustrations of Palestinians locked in a violent 19-month-old struggle against Israeli rule.
"How many Palestinians will wake up tomorrow to say 'we have nothing to lose'?" he told CNN. "I hope it will be an eye-opener to President Bush".
|
The United States said it will continue to support the idea of a Palestinian state. A US National Security Council spokesman referred to President Bush's vision of Israel and a Palestinian state living in peace.
"That is his vision for the region and we will continue working toward that vision," he said.