Arafat back on the road as diplomatic war with Barak continues

MOSCOW -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, calling on 18 capitals in 19 days, returns to his world tour to seek support for a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state.

So far, diplomatic sources and PA officials acknowledge, Arafat has fallen short of success. The result, PA officials said, is that the prospect of a declaration of statehood on Sept. 13 appears dim.

On Monday, Arafat tried again, flying to Beijing where he Chinese leaders gave backing to "any Palestinian decision." From there, Arafat will fly to Malaysia and Japan.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are waging a diplomatic war to persuade the international community of their positions.

So far, diplomatic sources said, the score is 1-1.

PA Chairman Yasser Arafat won the first point when he beat Israel to Turkey earlier this week and won a vague pledge to support Palestinian statehood. On Thursday, Israeli Internal Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami rushed to Ankara to try to undo the damage.

Israel, however, won the next round when it beat Arafat to Russia. Hours before Arafat arrived to Moscow on late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak spoke by telephone to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Diplomatic sources said Putin assured Barak that he would urge Arafat to continue peace negotiations and not declare a state on Sept. 13. On Friday, Arafat began talks with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

Russian deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Sredin, Putin's envoy to the Middle East, said Russia recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to statehood. But he added, in remarks reported by the official Itar-Tass news agency, that Moscow "is convinced that the realization of this right should be achieved by means of negotiations."

"Russia has no problem with recognizing a Palestinian state," Russian Foreign minister Igor Ivanov said. "As for the best timing for an independence declaration, we believe that the decision must be made with extreme caution."

A miffed Arafat cut short his visit to Russia by one day and returned to Ramallah for a Saturday night meeting of the Palestinian Cabinet.

Earlier, Arafat held talks in Teheran in which he declared the peace process dead and appealed for an Islamic summit on Jerusalem.

"We are victims of aggressions by the Zionists and their oppressive actions against the Jerusalem," Arafat said. "God willing, with the help of our friends in Islamic and international communities we will achieve a true peace. Palestine and Jerusalem belong not only to the Palestinians but to the entire Muslim world."

PA officials acknowledge that their effort to win international support for statehood next month has been difficult. France -- the most powerful ally of Arafat in the European Union -- is urging the PA to focus on reaching a peace agreement with Israel.

"France says that we should try to find a road to reach complete agreement before Sept. 13," Shaath said. "It says there are those who are hesitating in Europe [to recognize Palestinian statehood] and France wants a united position [in the EU]. We also hope that there will be a solution before Sept. 13."

The PLO Central Council, controlled by Arafat, will make a decision on statehood in a session at the end of the month. PA officials said Arafat failed to obtain a pledge to convene either the Arab League or the Organization of Islamic Conference to support Palestinian statehood next month.

"The Palestinian leadership is weighing options concerning a declaration of statehood," PA minister and negotiator Hasan Asfour said. "If we find that there is a real chance for reaching an agreement with Israel, the PLO Central Committee will convene to decide to postpone the statehood declaration otherwise the erstwhile date will not change."

Palestinian sources said Arafat will visit Syria within the next two weeks. They said official negotiations with Israel on final status issue will begin by the end of this week. On Aug. 20, U.S. peace envoy Dennis Ross is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East for talks with Israelis and Palestinians.

Arafat's failure stems from U.S. and Israeli pressure, diplomatic sources said. They said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker urged such U.S. allies as Jordan and Saudi Arabia to withhold public endorsement of a unilateral declaration of statehood while Israel persuaded Russia to do the same.

"The only pathway to realize Palestinian aspirations is through negotiations, through the process of give and take where each side can have its needs met and its hopes realized," President Bill Clinton said in an interview with the London-based Al Hayat daily published on Friday. "I urge all those in this region committed to peace to join with me."

Arafat, however, won what appears to be full Arab and Islamic support for his insistence on sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak went so far as to warn against the prospect of violence if the Palestinians concede on Jerusalem.

"Any compromise over Jerusalem will cause the region to explode in a way that cannot be put under control and terrorism will rise again," Mubarak said in an interview with the government weekly Ruz El Yusef. "No single person in the Arab or Islamic world can squander east Jerusalem or Al Aqsa mosque. In this context, even Arafat himself will not dare to sign a deal to give up these Muslim sanctities."