Mediator optimistic after Mideast peace talks

An Egyptian mediator working to secure a Mideast truce said today he received “positive” signals from Israel and called on Palestinian militant groups to come to take advantage of the new atmosphere.

Omar Suleiman met Israeli officials as well as Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and veteran leader Yasser Arafat as part of an international effort to reinvigorate the stalled “road map” peace plan. A ceasefire is seen as an essential first step.

Qureia has said he wants to persuade militant groups to halt attacks on Israelis, then to negotiate a ceasefire with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Palestinian militants say they are ready for a truce, provided Israel stops targeted killings of fugitives, incursions and arrest sweeps, according to an Egyptian official.

Suleiman told the Palestinians that Israeli leaders, while not giving any assurances, appeared receptive, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said after meeting with the Egyptian intelligence chief.

“He did say that there is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of. There is a positive atmosphere and a new language,” Shaath said. “He told us that he is optimistic.”

Suleiman invited all the Palestinian groups for talks next Monday in Cairo, Shaath said. “Today’s meeting was positive, but there is a need for further talks,” he said.

In the past, Israel has said it will only halt military strikes if Palestinian security forces begin dismantling militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

However, Israel has signalled in recent weeks that it is willing to test a truce for a limited period, without insisting on an immediate crackdown on armed groups.

Palestinian leaders have resisted a crackdown, saying they fear it will trigger internal fighting.

The road map calls for a crackdown – and also requires Israel to dismantle dozens of illegal settlement outposts and freeze all construction in the veteran settlements.

A senior Israeli official said the government had no immediate plans to remove any of the outposts. If the Palestinians make efforts to stop the violence, then Israel will take the required actions, the official said.

There is a “time and place for everything,” the official said.

Sharon is under growing pressure at home and abroad to bring an end to three years of violence.

Last week, four former directors of Israel’s Shin Bet security service warned that Israel is headed for disaster if the conflict with the Palestinians is not settled soon. They also accused Sharon of stalling in order to avoid making concessions.

At the same time, a symbolic peace deal negotiated by prominent Israelis and Palestinians has won attention and praise, including from US Secretary of State Colin Powell – an apparent signal of Washington displeasure with Sharon’s policies.