Prime Minister Sharon departed last night for his sixth visit to Washington since taking office 15 months ago. He will try to bolster the position of those in the Administration who say that Yasser Arafat must be totally marginalized and that \"reforms\" in the Palestinian Authority provide no promise for the future. Sharon will also present his own diplomatic initiative, centering around a long-term interim agreement. Bush, who met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday, said he last night that he has no timetable regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, and again expressed his disappointment in Arafat.
Sharon says that nothing can proceed without at least an attempt at \"reforms\" in the Palestinian Authority. As if to play along, Yasser Arafat may announce today or tomorrow the formation of a new cabinet and the names of its new ministers. So announced senior P.A. officials today. It should be noted that most opposition groups in the PA, such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the DFLP, and the PFLP, have announced that they will not take part in the new cabinet.
Sharon says that nothing can proceed without at least an attempt at \"reforms\" in the Palestinian Authority. As if to play along, Yasser Arafat may announce today or tomorrow the formation of a new cabinet and the names of its new ministers. So announced senior P.A. officials today. It should be noted that most opposition groups in the PA, such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the DFLP, and the PFLP, have announced that they will not take part in the new cabinet.