|
U.S. envoy leaving deadlocked Mideast talks
Israel rejects French bid for role in peace process
October 21, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT)In this story:
- U.S. role in talks to continue
- Source of stalemate
- Arabs welcome European peace bid
- Related stories and sites
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Unable to break the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate on Hebron, U.S. peace envoy Dennis Ross said Monday he is returning to Washington.
Ross was dispatched by U.S. President Bill Clinton 15 days ago to mediate talks on the long-overdue withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank town. He indicated he would return to the region when the two sides were closer to an agreement.
"This is not a move to put on pressure," he said at a news conference in Jerusalem. "I will return when my services are needed."
Also Monday, French President Jacques Chirac arrived in Israel to a cool welcome from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which rejects Chirac's bid for a European role as co-sponsor of the Mideast peace process.
U.S. role in talks to continue
Spokesmen for Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat had no immediate comment on Ross' departure.
A PLO official said Washington would continue to be represented in the talks by U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk and U.S. Consul General in East Jerusalem Edward Abington.
A diplomatic source who declined to be identified said Ross might be leaving early because continuing to participate in slow-moving negotiations could devalue his influence.
Source of stalemate
Under agreements made with Palestinians before Netanyahu assumed power, Israel was to to pull its troops out of Hebron, the last West Bank town it occupies, in March. Then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres delayed the withdrawal after Islamic militants carried out bombings in Israel.
Netanyahu, who defeated Peres in May, delayed the pullout further, demanding better security for the 450 Jewish settlers who live in the city of 94,000 Arabs.
The two sides agreed to the open-ended talks at a White House summit earlier this month. Clinton called the summit after an outbreak of West Bank and Gaza violence claimed more than 70 Arab and Israeli lives.
Arabs welcome European peace bid
At a welcoming ceremony with Israeli President Ezer Weizman in the presence of Netanyahu, Chirac called himself a friend of Israel. But Israel rejects giving France any diplomatic role in the peace process, believing that the Parisian government favors Arab interests.
"The unfortunate one-sidedness of European polices is such that Israel cannot accept it as an honest broker," said David Bar-Illan, Netanyahu's media adviser.
Chirac arrived in Israel directly from two days of talks with President Hafez Assad in Syria, where he was given a hero's welcome.
Also Monday, French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on increasing France's involvement in the Middle East peace process. De Charette will also hold talks with Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdel Meguid and may meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during his two-day visit, officials said.
Arabs have traditionally perceived the U.S. role as tilted towards Israel, and Arafat has repeatedly called on the European Union to step in and balance things out.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi held talks with Mubarak on Monday. Chirac is due in Cairo on Friday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Special section:
Related stories:
- Israel takes optimistic view of peace talks - October 16, 1996
- Mideast talks to continue Thursday - October 9, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowRelated newsgroups:
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Some newsgroups may not be supported by your service provider.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.