Netanyahu withdraws threat to quit

Israel’s threat to leave the talks forced United States officials to draft new security proposals with Netanyahu in order to rescue the summit.

US state department spokesman James P Rubin characterised the security proposals as a “rolling document,” indicating it was still evolving. Asked specifically if the documentwas being revised, Rubin said he wasn’t ruling out nuances and details.

Netanyahu had warned the Israelis were prepared to leave the talks if there was no substantial progress on security and the removal of anti-Israel clauses in the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s charter.

“If there will be substantial progress we will stay,” Netanyahu said. “If not, we will go.” Earlier, his spokesman had told reporters, “We are packing our bags.”

The Palestinians, meanwhile, said they would reject any new Israel demand. Ahmed Tibi, an adviser to Yasser Arafat, said “internal politics” in Israel was blocking a land-for-peace accord. He said the Palestinians have already made sufficient changes to their covenant.

Netanyahu has been under tremendous pressure to resist a troop pullback from the West Bank. Hard-liners in his government and leaders of the powerful Jewish settler lobby yesterday vowed to bring down the coalition government if he signs a deal.

In addition, dozens of Jewish settlers blockedmajor West Bank highways in protest, forcing Palestinians to use side roads.

A senior US official suggested Netanyahu’s threat to leave did not reflect Israel’s real stance in the talks. “I wouldn’t think their private posture is quite as stark as their public posture,” he said.

And Israel pushed back its threatened deadline three times yesterday. “We are still going to give it a chance, no one is closing doors,” said Dore Gold, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Gold said, “Israel needs a concrete security plan in order to make this process safe for Israelis, safe ultimately for Palestinians, and safe for the Middle East.”

With the atmosphere souring on the seventh day of the talks, Israel and the Palestinians exchanged accusations on which side was responsible for the slow progress.

And yet, Arafat telephoned 49th birthday congratulations to Netanyahu and urged him to stay on and complete the agreement.

Tibi, his adviser, said he had delivered flowers to Netanyahu on behalf ofArafat.

Turning grave at a news conference in English, Hebrew and Arabic, Tibi said the Palestinians had already accepted the US recommendations. “We are waiting for a yes from the Israelis,” he said.

Rubin said a US document, combining understandings already reached by the two sides and US suggestions to bridge remaining differences, would be given to Israel and the Palestinians later in the day.p“We are at a key moment in the history of the West Asia peace process,” he said.

Rubin said the “intensity was only increasing” and that it was not clear whether Netanyahu and Arafat were ready “to make the hard choices” needed for an accord.

He said the document being prepared by the administration was designed to advance the security of both people and reflected the criticality of the moment.

Asked whether the Israelis would leave the talks, Rubin said: “We’re prepared to facilitate anyone’s departure. We’re not holding anyone against their will.”

He said, however, that he did not know theIsraeli plans.