Arafat asserts authority over peace talks

A second summit between the Israeli and Palestinian premiers was in doubt today after Yasser Arafat sent a strong message that he, not Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, is in charge of peace talks with Israel.

The veteran Palestinian leader’s bid to counter moves to sideline him underlined the power struggle between Arafat and Abbas, whom Arafat grudgingly appointed under international pressure as efforts to move forward on a new peace plan intensified.

Arafat used the date of the second meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as his vehicle.

First, the Palestinians called off the meeting – which was due to be held today – until Arafat had a chance to discuss Israeli proposals with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation executive he chairs.

After the PLO meeting last night, Palestinian Cabinet Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the Abbas-Sharon meeting would go ahead today as planned.

Then it was Israel’s turn to say no.

“There will be no meeting Wednesday,” Sharon aide Raanan Gissin said.

Abbas said today that the meeting would “most likely” take place tomorrow.

“But at this point in time it has not been confirmed,” he said.

Israel Radio also reported that the summit would take place tomorrow, but officials in Sharon’s office said no date has been set.

A member of the PLO executive explained that the jockeying for position was Arafat’s way of telling the United States, Israel and Abbas that Arafat makes the decisions over negotiations with Israel.

Arafat has been fighting a rear-guard action to limit Abbas’ powers, objecting to the make-up of his Cabinet and inserting many of his stalwarts.

He retains control of most of the Palestinian security forces and has kept for himself the final word over peace moves.

This counters Israeli and US plans to sideline Arafat, charging that he is tainted by terrorism and had led his Palestinian Authority into corruption and inefficiency.

Sharon and Abbas met on May 17, the first Israeli-Palestinian summit meeting since the violence erupted in September 2000. No agreements emerged.

Meanwhile, officials are arranging a three-way summit with US President George Bush, Sharon and Abbas early next month, possibly in Jordan.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said concrete results could be expected from the summit.

“The President would not bother coming all the way out here to leave without a decision of some kind,” Shalom said.

Meanwhile, Sharon clarified a comment that caused a stir on Monday – referring to Israeli “occupation” in the West Bank for the first time, a term often used by Palestinians and their dovish Israeli backers.

Sharon said he was referring to Palestinians in disputed territories – an attempt to differentiate between the people and the territory, a way of underlining his policy that Israel must retain strategic parts of the West Bank.

“We are not occupiers,” he said. “This is the homeland of the Jewish people.”