THE MIDDLE EAST: The Israeli government may lift Arafat's travel restrictions, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Jerusalem
The US and Israel have offered the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, two incentives to conclude a ceasefire agreement. Before leaving Israel for Turkey yesterday, the US Vice-President, Mr Dick Cheney pledged to meet the President of the Palestinian Authority when a truce was securely in place.
The Israeli government said it may lift travel restrictions on Mr Arafat so he could attend the Arab League summit in Beirut on March 27th-28th.
Meeting Mr Cheney would represent the highest political contact for Mr Arafat with the White House since Mr Bush became President. A visit to the Arab summit would constitute an end to the Palestinian leader's three months of effective house arrest. For his part, Mr Arafat sees a visit to Beirut as a right and he has expressed concern that he might not be allowed to return by the Israelis.
In further violence, two Palestinian men killed an Israeli officer and wounded three soldiers at an army training area in the West Bank, before being shot dead. A Palestinian man in the West Bank town of Beit Omar was killed by Israeli troops, Palestinian officials said.
When asked about his failure to meet Mr Arafat so far, Mr Cheney said: "I don't think that justifies the charge that somehow we are ignoring the Palestinian people." No location has been given for his meeting with the Palestinian leader, should it take place.
The Vice-President said the US would remain "very actively engaged" in truce efforts led by the special peace envoy, Gen Anthony Zinni, who has reported some progress toward a ceasefire declaration. Palestinian sources reportedly indicated a truce could be announced as early as today. "We are working very hard . . . at trying to achieve an end to the conflict that has plagued Israelis and Palestinians," Mr Cheney said at a press conference with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon.
"I am hopeful that the effort that we are making here today will result in giving Gen Zinni the support he needs to move forward."
He said the coming week would be crucial for the Palestinian leader, who must do everything he can to prevent attacks on Israelis: "I would expect the 100 per cent effort to begin immediately."
The Palestinian Cabinet Minister, Dr Saeb Erekat, said he welcomed Mr Cheney's offer to meet his leader. He had earlier accused the Vice-President of bias: "I don't understand why this American administration and the Vice-President are trying so hard just to be one-sided, and to listen to one side at the expense of the other side."
The Palestinians declared they would not meet Mr Cheney, unless he agreed to meet Mr Arafat.
Mr Sharon said he would allow Mr Arafat to leave the Palestinian territories once a truce was in place, adding that, according to the emerging timetable for a cease-fire, "we can assume. . . that he can get to Beirut". The summit is expected to discuss the Saudi Arabian peace plan for recognition of Israel provided it withdrew to its 1967 borders.
Mr Sharon said he expected Mr Arafat to speak in Beirut "on the importance of peace and regional stability". But he left open the possibility that he would not be able to return if there was renewed violence or if he delivered an inflammatory speech. Mr Erekat responded that "Sharon cannot put an obstacle on the movement of Arafat and cannot dictate to us what we should say or not say."