Palestinians Cut Talks Delegation

Palestinians cut their delegation to the Middle East peace talks from 14 to three Monday because they said Israel had not fulfilled promises made to persuade them to resume the peace process last month.

They said they were also protesting against “lack of seriousness” in a draft statement of principles on Palestinian self-rule that Israel presented last Thursday and the PLO leadership in Tunis immediately rejected.

The Palestinians sent only three negotiators to see the Israelis on Monday afternoon, and spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi said three working groups created a week ago to discuss details of Palestinian self-rule and human rights would not meet.

Ashrawi said Israel had failed to keep its promises “particularly on the speedy return of the Palestinians deported on 17 December and on specific human rights measures which it undertook to implement with the resumption of negotiations.”

Israel offered Monday to allow home another 25 of the nearly 400 deportees now in southern Lebanon, but the Palestinian delegation dismissed the offer as completely inadequate.

Ashrawi said Israel’s offer in January to return 101 of the deportees had already been rejected and to add 25 more was far less than the Palestinians had been promised.

“They know very well that in order to make a difference they will have to double or triple the number,” Ashrawi said.