Israel and the Palestinians are expected to hold another security meeting on Wednesday with CIA director George Tenet on forging a lasting ceasefire, Israeli radio reported, but the Palestinians said that deep differences remain. Security chiefs from the two sides held talks with Tenet in Jerusalem Tuesday night but failed to make any tangible progress towards an agreement on halting more than eight months of deadly violence, the radio said.
"We are speaking about fundamental differences, West Bank preventative security chief Jibril Rajoub told a Palestine radio on Wednesday adding that further security meetings would depend on a decision by the political leadership. Israelis have not shown the least spirit of cooperation on substantial issues such as the lifting of the siege, the freezing of Jewish settlement activity, prisoner releases and an end to the aggression, he said.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke by telephone with both Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday, media reports on both sides said. Sharon told Powell that Israel would not resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians until there was a complete halt to the violence, Israeli radio said.
"Yasser Arafat must not be allowed to violate signed a cords with Israel because that would be a dangerous precedent for the Arab states," Sharon was quoted as telling Powell. Bureau Report