Two die in Mideast violence
In continuing violence, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on Israeli police in Jerusalem and an Islamic militant was killed in a West Bank gun battle.
Israeli police raided the campus of Al Quds University, on the edge of Jerusalem, and closed down the office of the president, Sari Nusseibeh, who is also the top PLO official in Jerusalem.
Nusseibeh is one of the most outspoken moderates among prominent Palestinians, criticising suicide bombings and calling on his people to give up their long-standing demand for the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original homes in Israel, on condition Israel give up all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.
Nusseibeh was in Greece when the raid took place. Israeli Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau said the university is part of the “long arm of the Palestinian Authority, operating against the law”.
Israel and the Palestinians have conflicting claims on Jerusalem. Israel claims the whole city as its capital, but the Palestinians want the eastern part, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as their capital. Israel says under interim peace accords, the Palestinians are banned from political activity in Jerusalem.
Despite the raid, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres pursued his contacts with new ministers in Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s cabinet, re-establishing contact that had been all but stopped during 21-month’s of violence.
Yesterday’s meting was with Interior Minister Abdel Razak Yihiyeh and Local Affairs Minister Saeb Erekat, who also served as a negotiator in talks with Israel. On Monday, Peres met Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayed.
Peres, from the moderate Labour party, has been pushing for restoring contacts with the Palestinians, against the resistance of hawkish Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has vetoed peace talks until all Palestinian violence stops.
Erekat said the Palestinians demanded an end to the Israeli military takeover of seven of eight main Palestinian towns and cities, while the Israelis raised demands to stop Palestinian suicide bombings and other attacks.
Peres’ office said the meeting was positive, and both sides recognised the need to continue the talks.
In renewed violence, a Palestinian bystander died during a shootout between Israeli police and a Palestinian gunman. Near Herod’s Gate police said they spotted suspicious Palestinians and asked for their identity cards.
One drew a pistol and fired at a policeman at point-blank range wounding him seriously before fleeing. Police say that they exchanged fire with the gunmen.
After searching the old city, police said they captured the gunman.
In the West Bank, an Islamic Jihad activist was shot and bled to death before he could reach a hospital, Palestinians said, blaming Israel.
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