Israel raised the possibility Sunday of reaching a partial peace deal with the Palestinians, amid reports the United States is backing down from pitching last-ditch bridging proposals because of the deep differences still dividing the two sides.
But the Palestinians said there must be a full agreement that settles the fate of the most sensitive issue in their conflict -- Jerusalem and its sacred shrines -- or no deal at all.
"While we would prefer to settle all disagreements and resolve all of the issues, we do not rule out the possibility of achieving a comprehensive and overall agreement on most issues while defining a mechanism and timeframe for negotiating a settlement on the very few remaining issues," Prime Minister Ehud Barak said.
He told a cabinet meeting that the possibility of a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was being considered, saying that "the moment of truth" was approaching.
Barak also said it would be a "mistake" to have an extended interim agreement with the Palestinians.
Israeli army radio had reported that the two sides had embarked on "informal contacts" to explore chances of an interim deal including recognition of an independent Palestinian state and a further Israeli troop withdrawal from occupied land.
"This could be the lesser of two evils if there is no final agreement putting an end to the conflict and claims of each side," said Tourism and Transport Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, who took part in July's failed Camp David peace summit.
"An interim accord would reduce the chances of an explosion of violence should negotiations break down and would make it possible to continue dialogue, so it could be a solution," he added.
The two sides missed a September 13 deadline for a final comprehensive peace accord and there has been no reported progress despite a Palestinian decision to delay their plans to declare statehood on that date.
The radio said a new interim arrangement would mean a fresh postponement of the most difficult issues, such as east Jerusalem, the fate of 3.5 million Palestinian refugees, and the future of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories.
On Saturday, acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami said Israel was willing to delay an agreement on east Jerusalem, the sector containing sites holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims, which it captured and annexed in 1967.
Islam's third holiest site, the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock complex is built atop the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple used to stand. All that is left of the temple is the Western Wall, Judaism's most sacred place.
Various ideas have been floated, including putting sovereignty in the hands of the United Nations or shared control.
But Palestinian negotiator and legislative council speaker Ahmed Qorei Sunday rejected the possibility of a partial accord and delaying a resolution on Jerusalem.
"Either there is an agreement on all the issues or there will be no agreement. The issue of Jerusalem will not be postponed," he told Voice of Palestine radio.
On Sunday, Ben Ami, who is expected to visit Cairo and Amman on Monday, said he considered the chances of reaching an accord were "still 50-50."
Peacemaking plumbed a new low last week when Barak announced a freeze in negotiations only to reverse his decision a few hours later, a move that infuriated the Palestinians.
And army radio, quoting top Israeli officials, was among media reporting that US President Bill Clinton had given up plans to submit a written bridging document to the two sides outlining the ideas presented at Camp David.
Clinton decided to hold back because the gap between the two sides was still too wide and Palestinian leaders had been less than enthusiastic about it, fearing it would give too much to Israel, the radio said – JERUSALEM (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
