American mediator Anthony Zinni met last night with Prime Minister Sharon, IDF Chief of Staff Mofaz, and GSS head Dichter, and with Foreign Minister Peres and Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer this morning. He will meet with Arafat in Ramallah later today.
Sharon has appointed the members of the team to negotiate with Gen. Zinni in the coming days or weeks: Peres, Ben-Eliezer, and - representing Sharon - Minister Tzippy Livny. However, the Prime Minister said that the talks would begin once the Palestinians agree to a cease-fire - which they refuse to do. PA sources told Ynet that they now insist that the security issues be brought up in the framework of the diplomatic talks, and not the opposite. Minister Livny said that it would be a \"long, hard process… The other side appears not to be interested in undertaking it, because then they would have to dismantle their terrorist infrastructures.\"
Sharon has appointed the members of the team to negotiate with Gen. Zinni in the coming days or weeks: Peres, Ben-Eliezer, and - representing Sharon - Minister Tzippy Livny. However, the Prime Minister said that the talks would begin once the Palestinians agree to a cease-fire - which they refuse to do. PA sources told Ynet that they now insist that the security issues be brought up in the framework of the diplomatic talks, and not the opposite. Minister Livny said that it would be a \"long, hard process… The other side appears not to be interested in undertaking it, because then they would have to dismantle their terrorist infrastructures.\"