US Mideast Envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni is completing his four-day visit to Israel today after meetings with senior Israeli and PA leaders. Zinni attended a joint Israeli-Arab security meeting and will meet with Prime Minister Sharon before departing back to the United States.
Earlier today, Zinni briefed Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Israel’s president Moshe Katzav regarding the meetings with PA leaders over the weekend. US officials have indicated that despite Israel\'s capture of 50 tons of PLO war materials, if there is no escalation of violence between Israel and the PA, Zinni will return for another short visit in a week-and-a-half.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer met with Zinni and US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer on Friday at Sharon\'s Shikmim farm in the Negev. They discussed various ways to press PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to make a strategic decision to combat terrorism. The Israeli team\'s position is that the only way to get Arafat to act is for the US and Europe to increase pressure on him.
Earlier today, Zinni briefed Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Israel’s president Moshe Katzav regarding the meetings with PA leaders over the weekend. US officials have indicated that despite Israel\'s capture of 50 tons of PLO war materials, if there is no escalation of violence between Israel and the PA, Zinni will return for another short visit in a week-and-a-half.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer met with Zinni and US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer on Friday at Sharon\'s Shikmim farm in the Negev. They discussed various ways to press PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to make a strategic decision to combat terrorism. The Israeli team\'s position is that the only way to get Arafat to act is for the US and Europe to increase pressure on him.