Clinton tells Arafat he's hampered by U.S. elections, including Hillary's

JERUSALEM -- President Bill Clinton has warned Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat that he cannot pressure Israel to fulfill Palestinian demands in final-status negotiations during an election year in the United States, a senior Palestinian official said.

The official, who refused to be named but is regarded as reliable, said Clinton urged Arafat to understand that he is limited in what he can do to elicit further Israeli concessions to the Palestinians on such issues as the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. The two leaders met on June 15 in Washington.

Clinton, the Palestinian official said, reminded Arafat that two of his closest colleagues are running for office and suggested that they need the Jewish vote. They included Vice President Al Gore, who is running for president, and Clinton's wife Hillary, who seeks the U.S. Senate seat for New York.

"Don't forget that my wife is running for Senate," Clinton was quoted by the Palestinian official as saying. "My vice president is also running for office. I cannot afford to lose support [for these candidates]. This is America."

PA officials said Arafat explained to Clinton that he cannot make any more concessions to the Israelis and demanded that the United States guarantee that Israel implement all interim-status accords signed with the PA. This included a withdrawal from all of the West Bank except for Jewish settlements and military bases.

The officials said Clinton refused to provide a specific guarantee. The result is that Arafat has held back a commitment to attend a summit with Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak planned for the first week of July.

"Arafat won't go without being sure he will get a piece of cake," a Palestinian source said. "What he might do is send somebody in his place to meet Barak."

In contrast, Israel is pressing for a summit so it can obtain a framework agreement on final status issues that would ensure that the Palestinians concede on such demands as the right of return for refugees and control of Jerusalem. Foreign Minister David Levy said on Tuesday that Israel wants an agreement by the end of the year.

On Thursday, U.S. envoy Dennis Ross arrives for talks with Arafat and Barak. Ross will be followed by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who arrives in the region on Sunday.

U.S. officials said Israel and the Palestinians are not close enough in their positions to justify a summit. "I think the secretary and the president have made clear they are prepared to do what it takes to reach an agreement," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Tuesday. "If they thought the basis existed to reach an agreement, they would be prepared to do what it takes."