THE MIDDLE EAST: The US favours the Palestinian leader attending the Arab summit, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Jerusalem
Israel is expected to decide shortly whether to let the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, travel to the Arab League summit in Beirut, which starts today.
The two-day meeting of 22 Arab countries is due to discuss the recent peace initiative launched by Saudi Arabia.
The White House spokesman, Mr Ari Fleischer, said President Bush believed Israel should give "serious consideration" to letting President Arafat go. A Russian foreign ministry spokesman said in Moscow: "We are in favour of Yasser Arafat's presence in Beirut." Bahrain's King Hamad said in a statement that, "there is no alternative to brother Arafat. . . so that the summit can examine the situation in line with the Palestinian national vision".
An Israeli government spokesman said: "Our response will depend on an end to the violence on the ground - which has not happened - and the results of efforts by the US envoy, Mr Anthony Zinni, to reach a ceasefire agreement."
However, the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem, Mr Ziad Abu Ziad, told Egyptian radio that "President Yasser Arafat will not attend the Arab summit unless international guarantees are forthcoming to prevent Israel from carrying out ill-advised activities to prevent him from returning." Mr Abu Ziad said.
Washington should guarantee this, he added. Mr Arafat has been under de facto house arrest in the West Bank town of Ramallah for nearly four months, although Israel said last week he was free to travel throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Saudi initiative involves Arab recognition of Israel provided it withdraws troops to the 1967 borders.
Repeated violent incidents have obstructed efforts to reach a ceasefire in talks convened by Gen Zinni. It was reported that the Palestinians had cancelled a round of joint security talks last night. But the talks were expected to resume today.
The prominent Palestinian spokeswoman and politician, Dr Hanan Ashrawi, has ceased to be the media representative of the Arab League after less than a year.
Her office said she had not formally resigned but no longer had any duties with the league.
Dr Ashrawi is not attending the Beirut summit. She has been critical of the failure by the league to speak with one united voice.
She resigned her cabinet post as Palestinian minister of higher education in 1998 after President Arafat failed to sack ministers who had been named in a report on corruption.
Meanwhile, a UN human rights expert warned in Geneva that only an international peacekeeping mission could stop the violence. Mr John Dugard, special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said both sides were committing serious violations.
"Targeted killings of selected Palestinians by guided missiles, terrorist bombings in Israel, the demolition of homes in the Palestinian territory and the indiscriminate killing of civilians by both sides must cease," Mr Dugard said.
He said in his report to the UN Human Rights Commission: "Calls for a ceasefire or a cessation of violence as a precondition for the resumption of talks between Israelis and Palestinians are doomed to fail.
"Only an effective international presence in the region with the power to monitor and reduce the use of violence can achieve this goal," he added. Mr Dugard's report is due to be considered by the 53 countries in the commission's annual session which is currently taking place in Geneva