Arafat Seeks Help as Talks Hit ‘Crisis’
Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat asked for international help Friday in his dealings with Israel, saying peace talks had hit an “unprecedented crisis.”
Arafat was furious over a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday that ended in sharp disagreement over the location of West Bank territory Israel was to hand over next week.
Israel has downplayed the dispute, but the Palestinians on Friday used uncharacteristically sharp language to express their anger.
“Barak completely backed off yesterday from all agreements, dates and stages of the withdrawals, using unfounded pretexts,” Arafat said in a statement issued after the Palestinian Cabinet’s weekly meeting. “The Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are going through a major, unprecedented crisis.”
Israel and the Palestinians face a Feb. 13 deadline for a framework for a final peace treaty, which appeared unattainable after the failed summit.
Arafat met with U.S. mediator Dennis B. Ross for more than three hours Friday night after calling for “European, American and Arab intervention.” The Cabinet statement said help was needed immediately “to salvage the peace process from imminent collapse and the return of anarchy to the Middle East.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
