Yasser Arafat failed yesterday for the third time to force Israel to accept international observers in Yesha. The PA had no choice but to withdraw its proposal for such from the UN Security Council after the U.S. said it would impose a veto on the idea. The PLO failure was even more pronounced this time, as even many other nations that had before supported Arafat did not do so this time. U.S. President George Bush, when asked about Israel\'s recent incursion into the PLO-controlled Abu Sneineh hills in Hevron, said, \"It is time that it be understood that Israel will not negotiate under fire, and Arafat must stop his threats and suicide killers.\" Bush also accused Arafat of not fulfilling his obligations to fight terrorism. In response, Arafat said that the Americans are not fulfilling their own obligations in the diplomatic process.
In addition, the chances for a Peres-Arafat meeting this week are plunging rapidly, in light of the recent terrorist events. Preparations for such a meeting had gone into high gear at the end of last week. Environment Minister Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud) asked Prime Minister Sharon today to revoke the permission he gave Peres to meet with Arafat. Hanegbi said that considering the terrorist events of the weekend, and in light of the fact that all the security organs agree that Arafat is actively involved in the terrorism, \"a meeting of this sort would only help rehabilitate Arafat\'s image in the world.\"
Arafat has not given up hope of meeting Peres, however, and said that he is waiting for an answer from German Foreign Minister Fischer. At the same time, PLO officials are intensifying their contacts with Syria. Nabil Shaath and aides to Syrian President Bashar Assad have met several times over the past few days, and an Arafat-Assad meeting has in fact been scheduled for September 12 in Damascus. This will be Arafat\'s first visit to the Syrian capital in five years.
In addition, the chances for a Peres-Arafat meeting this week are plunging rapidly, in light of the recent terrorist events. Preparations for such a meeting had gone into high gear at the end of last week. Environment Minister Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud) asked Prime Minister Sharon today to revoke the permission he gave Peres to meet with Arafat. Hanegbi said that considering the terrorist events of the weekend, and in light of the fact that all the security organs agree that Arafat is actively involved in the terrorism, \"a meeting of this sort would only help rehabilitate Arafat\'s image in the world.\"
Arafat has not given up hope of meeting Peres, however, and said that he is waiting for an answer from German Foreign Minister Fischer. At the same time, PLO officials are intensifying their contacts with Syria. Nabil Shaath and aides to Syrian President Bashar Assad have met several times over the past few days, and an Arafat-Assad meeting has in fact been scheduled for September 12 in Damascus. This will be Arafat\'s first visit to the Syrian capital in five years.