US may revive Mid-East peace talks

Meanwhile, European Union envoy Miguel Moratinos said the EU hopes to arrange a meeting between Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy in Brussels later this month.

Moratinos, who met with Arafat in Gaza on Wednesday, said Levy was expected to address the EU’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels next Tuesday. “We want Arafat to attend this meeting so… we can get this process going,” he said.

The Palestinians broke off contact with Israel in mid-March after Israel began building a new Jewish neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians hope to establish a capital.

Arafat has refused to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel would first have to stop building Jewish settlements on disputed land.

In recent days there have been lower-level contacts between Israel’s Defence Minister and Palestinian Planning Minister to discuss unresolved issues in existing peace accords. However, no progress was reported.

Israel’s Channel 2 TV said the Arafat-Ayalon meeting focused on Israel’s charges that Palestinian policemen had planned attacks against Israeli civilians.

Israel this week arrested four Palestinian policemen accused of planning such attacks. Arafat on Thursday called the arrests “a big mistake.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, Ayalon told Arafat that the issue constituted “the most severe violation” by Palestinians since the peace process began and warned him that the Palestinians must seriously investigate Israel’s claims, the report said. Ayalon also told Arafat that his rule and perhaps his life were endangered by such deception within his ranks, it said.

Netanyahu’s adviser David Bar-Illan confirmed the meeting took place, and said Israel has clear evidence that Palestinian military leaders ordered the mission.

Bar-Illan could not confirm the Israel TV report about an American plan to jump-start peace talks.

According to the TV, US envoy Dennis Ross would return to the region in August with proposals to begin talks the following month. The goal would be to complete a final peace settlement within six months.