Although it was reported today that the end of the month-long siege around Arafat is near and will end by tonight, last-minute hitches have placed the final outcome in doubt. Arafat is now agreeing to hand over only the four murderers of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi, but not Fuad Shubaki and Ahmed Saadat. The latter two are responsible for the Karin-A weapons ship, and Israel has long demanded their extradition.
Israel and Arafat agreed earlier this week that in exchange for placing the six under American and British guard in a PA prison, Arafat would be allowed to leave his Ramallah compound. Israeli officials say that all six terrorists were specifically mentioned in U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell\'s letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and to which Arafat specifically agreed. However, Arafat\'s characteristic last-minute reneging on his word has left Israeli, P.A., U.S., and British negotiators in a last-minute scramble to resolve the crisis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Arafat would apparently be free to travel not only to Gaza, but even outside of Israel - and to return as well. The British members of the American-British warden team are already in Israel, ready to fulfill their end of the deal. They are reportedly unhappy with the conditions in the proposed PA prison in Jericho, and the terrorists may be incarcerated in Gaza instead.
The Supreme Court will hear an urgent petition tomorrow demanding that Yasser Arafat stand trial in Israel. The \"Pursue Justice\" Association maintains that Arafat is most definitely a war criminal who must be brought to trial according to all judicial considerations. \"Political and public-relations aspects must not be taken into account,\" the petitioners say. Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein has already turned down a similar request by \"Pursue Justice.\"
Israel and Arafat agreed earlier this week that in exchange for placing the six under American and British guard in a PA prison, Arafat would be allowed to leave his Ramallah compound. Israeli officials say that all six terrorists were specifically mentioned in U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell\'s letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and to which Arafat specifically agreed. However, Arafat\'s characteristic last-minute reneging on his word has left Israeli, P.A., U.S., and British negotiators in a last-minute scramble to resolve the crisis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Arafat would apparently be free to travel not only to Gaza, but even outside of Israel - and to return as well. The British members of the American-British warden team are already in Israel, ready to fulfill their end of the deal. They are reportedly unhappy with the conditions in the proposed PA prison in Jericho, and the terrorists may be incarcerated in Gaza instead.
The Supreme Court will hear an urgent petition tomorrow demanding that Yasser Arafat stand trial in Israel. The \"Pursue Justice\" Association maintains that Arafat is most definitely a war criminal who must be brought to trial according to all judicial considerations. \"Political and public-relations aspects must not be taken into account,\" the petitioners say. Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein has already turned down a similar request by \"Pursue Justice.\"