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U.S. envoy looks for opening in Mideast stalemate
May 8, 1997
Web posted at: 12:56 p.m. EDT (1656 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- U.S. envoy Dennis Ross shuttled between Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip Thursday, looking for ways to get the Middle East peace process moving again.
Ross, on his second Ping-Pong diplomatic mission to the region in a month, met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for three hours, following two sessions on Wednesday and early Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Officials gave little details about the talks, but said Ross would meet Netanyahu later Thursday. He is to meet with Arafat again Friday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
"We are looking to see what can be done to begin to restore confidence -- that is really critical," Ross said after Thursday's talks with Arafat. "There are difficult problems that we have to overcome."
Asked whether Ross had brought any new initiatives, Arafat said only that "all matters" were still under discussion.
The peace process broke down two months ago when Israel moved forward with plans to build a 6,500-unit Jewish settlement on the southeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, triggering weeks of violence in the region.
Arafat spokesman Marwan Kanafani said the Palestinian leader stressed to Ross the need for Israel to stop all settlement activity before peace talks resume -- a proposal Netanyahu has firmly rejected.
"We hope that Mr. Ross will understand that nothing can be moved without stopping Israeli settlement activities," Kanafani said. "This is not only illegal and an obstacle to peace. This is a suicide to the peace process in its entirety."
Netanyahu aide David Bar-Illan, reiterating the prime minister's hard-line stance, said settlement construction would continue.
"We obviously are not going to stop building in the settlements any more than the Palestinians are going to stop building in their towns," he said Wednesday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Ross returns to Mideast to nudge peace process - May 7, 1997
- Netanyahu unfazed after snub by Jordan - May 6, 1997
- Palestinians want quicker final peace deal, Israel says - April 16, 1997
- Arafat agrees to help prevent militants' attacks - April 10, 1997
- Funeral sparks fierce clashes in West Bank - April 9, 1997
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