Lead peace efforts, Egypt urges Arafat

A top Egyptian envoy has called on Yasser Arafat to lead Middle East peace efforts as Palestinian leaders expressed concern about Israel’s threat to draw its own West Bank border if talks broke down.

Osama el-Baz pressed the Palestinian leader to lead the way towards ending three years of violence with Israel, saying he was hopeful Israel would respond positively.

El-Baz, a top aide to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, voiced optimism after his meeting with Arafat.

“We are deeply concerned to get out of this problematic situation which threatens the whole region,” he said. ”What I heard from President Arafat makes me more hopeful for the future.”

With Egyptian backing, Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia has been trying for months to persuade militant groups to halt attacks on Israel.

That could pave the way towards a meeting with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and full-fledged negotiations on the US-backed “road map” – a peace plan that envisages an independent Palestinian state by 2005.

The road map requires the Palestinians to disarm the militant groups and the Israelis to freeze settlement construction – steps neither side has taken, with Israel insisting the Palestinians must act first. The plan does not include details of final borders or other main issues.

Sharon said last month said that if there was no progress on the road map, he would move to unilaterally redraw the lines between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sharon has not detailed his plans, but said the Palestinians would do far better under a negotiated settlement. Aides suggest the plan would leave Israel effectively holding on to sparsely-populated areas adding up to almost half the West Bank, and dismantling some settlements in the area fully evacuated.

El-Baz urged Arafat, whom Israel and the United States accuse of fomenting terrorism, to act quickly to improve the environment.

“We, from our side, should take decisions and measures that can lead the way to a better future,” el-Baz said. ”Then, we hope the Israelis will do the same.”

Arafat, who has been confined to Ramallah for two years by Israeli troops, said only that they had discussed “the problems that we face as the Palestinian people”.

Although Arafat gave no promises, there were some signs of possible movement in the Palestinian position.

A senior Palestinian official said that there were growing concerns among the Palestinian leadership about Sharon’s threatened go-it-alone plan – which might create the impression worldwide that the occupation was over and the Palestinian problem resolved.

Syria’s recent overture about resuming peace talks with Israel had also set off alarm bells with the Palestinians, the official said.

If those talks were to resume, it could take attention away from the Palestinian cause and also lead to Syria expelling Palestinian militant groups from Damascus.

The Palestinian official said the Palestinians hoped to reach an understanding with the United States over a ceasefire that would precede the thorny question of how to dismantle the militant groups.