It now appears that the tremendous pressure has had an effect, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will apparently not meet with Yasser Arafat in the near future. A meeting had been planned for this coming Sunday night. It was reported this morning that almost every Israeli Cabinet minister - including Labor Party ministers Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Defense) and former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai (Culture) - is strongly against the meeting. Early this afternoon, Communications Minister Ruby Rivlin, considered to be close to Prime Minister Sharon, announced surprisingly that Sharon, too, is against the meeting, and that the government would reject it in its Sunday morning session.
About a half hour after Rivlin\'s announcement, Israel Radio reported that Minister Peres said he would not hold the meeting unless Arafat ordered a total halt to terrorism and takes concrete steps to this end.
Americans for a Safe Israel also urged Sharon to withdraw permission and to recognize that \"The time for talking has passed. The world has seen the fruits of Arafat’s labor in the reign of terror he’s been conducting in Israel, the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington. Watching Arafat’s disciples, children and adults, dancing with joy as news of the heinous terror attacks took place in the U.S., as they have danced in Israel following suicide bombings, there can no longer be any doubt in the minds of reasonable people as to the murderous intentions of the enemy. Any “talk” at this time is mere sham and will only bring calamity to Israel and its ally, America...\"
About a half hour after Rivlin\'s announcement, Israel Radio reported that Minister Peres said he would not hold the meeting unless Arafat ordered a total halt to terrorism and takes concrete steps to this end.
Americans for a Safe Israel also urged Sharon to withdraw permission and to recognize that \"The time for talking has passed. The world has seen the fruits of Arafat’s labor in the reign of terror he’s been conducting in Israel, the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington. Watching Arafat’s disciples, children and adults, dancing with joy as news of the heinous terror attacks took place in the U.S., as they have danced in Israel following suicide bombings, there can no longer be any doubt in the minds of reasonable people as to the murderous intentions of the enemy. Any “talk” at this time is mere sham and will only bring calamity to Israel and its ally, America...\"