Clinton attempts to relaunch Mideast talks

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived in New York Tuesday evening and met with Arab leaders attending the Millennium Summit at the United Nations

In this story: Arafat 'will not be flexible' on holy places Second Camp David Summit not likely Israel, Palestinians 'have never been closer' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott

NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Bill Clinton begins a new push on Wednesday to relaunch Mideast peace talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but U.S. officials are downplaying the likelihood of significant progress in the sessions.

"There is not an agreement on any of the core issues," a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. "There are important differences that remain."

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak in what her aides billed as a "prepatory meeting" for the Israeli leader's session with Clinton Wednesday afternoon. She will meet with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat while Barak meets with Clinton.

MESSAGE BOARD Middle East

The goal of the meetings, said the official, is to "build on the advances" of the Camp David peace talks in July, and try to "overcome the differences" between the sides.

Before the collapse of the Camp David talks in July, Barak was seen as willing to make major concessions to the Palestinians, including some form of autonomy for Palestinian-controlled areas of Jerusalem. But Arafat has insisted on full Palestinian sovereignty over East Jerusalem, including holy sites in the old quarter of the city -- a position which the Clinton administration has made no secret it sees as inflexible.

The possibility of a partial agreement -- where the question of borders and the fate of Palestinian refugees would be settled but the most difficult and sensitive issue of Jerusalem would be deferred -- also seems unlikely.

"We do not see a readiness on the part of either party to look for less than a comprehensive agreement," said the U.S. official. "It makes more sense to go for a whole deal."

Arafat 'will not be flexible' on holy places

Arafat told CNN on Tuesday that the Palestinians are "not asking for the moon," but for an "accurate and honest implementation to what had been agreed upon."

"Sure, I will not be flexible concerning the holy places, because the holy places are not only Palestinian," he said. "It's Palestinian, Arab, Christian and Muslim holy places, and everybody has to respect it."

Mideast envoy Dennis Ross recently returned from the region, where he met with Arab leaders in an effort to reach consensus on Jerusalem.

The senior official said the trip illustrated a "readiness" on the part of the Arab world to "support any agreement Arafat would reach." The official said the Egyptians, in particular, have been comparing assessments with the U.S. Last week President Clinton met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on his way back from a trip to Africa.

Second Camp David Summit not likely

This week will also see a flurry of diplomatic activity between Arab leaders and U.S. officials. Clinton is expected to meet with King Abdullah of Jordan, while Albright will meet with Egyptian Foreign Mininster Amir Moussa and Saudi Foreign Minister Saud.

"We want the countries in the region who have committed themselves to the peace process to do what they can to make these decisions easier," said the offical. "There is an opportunity, we don't know how long it will last. If it is missed, it will affect the whole region."

Moussa told CNN on Tuesday that any settlement Arafat might consider "needs to be a reasonable offer and an offer the Palestinian side cannot refuse."

The U.S. has also downplayed expectations that this week's meetings between Clinton and the parties would produce enough progress for a second Camp David summit.

The senior U.S. official said this week's meetings would likely be "discussions leading to discussions," rather than ending with a date for a new summit.

National Security Adviser Samuel Berger also ruled out the possibility of a three-way meeting among the leaders in New York. While he acknowledged that some progress was possible, he called it "increasingly difficult to imagine" a peace agreement in the coming weeks.

Israel, Palestinians 'never...closer'

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan took a cautiously optimistic tone Tuesday, saying that "the two parties have never been closer than they are today," but noting the problem of time facing the leaders as the September 13 deadline for an agreement approaches.

"Camp David made major strides, and I hope we would be able to capitalize on that process and reach an agreement," Annan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Arafat will travel back to the region this weekend for a meeting with the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization, where he is expected to make a decision on his stated intention to declare a Palestinian state by the September 13 deadline.

But the U.S. official said that the "focus is very much on the substance of the negotiations," rather than the impending deadline. "We clearly believe the outlines of a deal are within reach. But it is difficult to translate that possibility into a reality."

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August 16, 2000
China noncommittal on Arafat's timetable for Palestinian state
August 14, 2000

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