ISRAEL: FORMER PREMIER PERES MEETS PALESTINIAN LEADER YASSER ARAFAT скачать в хорошем качестве

ISRAEL: FORMER PREMIER PERES MEETS PALESTINIAN LEADER YASSER ARAFAT

(22 Aug 1996) English/Nat Former Israeli premier Shimon Peres met Thursday with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and said Israel must keep its promises to the Palestinians. Peres' initiative highlights the differences between him and his successor, Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, in their approach to the Israeli-PLO peace agreements. Netanyahu has so far refused to meet Arafat but has said Israel would renew discussion with the Palestinians very soon. The meeting between Arafat and Peres had to be rescheduled at the last minute following an Israeli Army ban on the Palestinian leader flying from Gaza to the West Bank. After several hours' delay the two met at the Ezra checkpoint in Gaza. Former Prime Minister Peres arrived at the Erez checkpoint for his first meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat since the new Israeli government came to power. The two discussed the faltering Middle East peace process and the way ahead under the premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting was originally to have taken place in the West Bank - however it was moved to Gaza at the last minute after the Israeli Army denied Arafat's new helicopter a flying permit - claiming it hadn't been cleared for air safety. The ban was lifted following a flurry of protests - and a quick intervention by the Israeli government - but the meeting was delayed by several hours. Peres and Arafat finally met at the PLO headquarters in the Gaza Strip. The former partners in the peace process were pleased with the outcome of their meeting. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Peace is not only a Palestinian need, it is a Palestinian need, Israeli need, Arab need, international need, and we have to protect it. Your ascency, many thanks for your coming and you know that I am respecting you not only as a partner, but as a friend. Thank you for your coming." SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat - Palestinian leader Peres said Israel should honour its commitments to the Palestinians and continue the peace efforts started by his predecessor Yitzhak Rabin. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I want to thank Yasser Arafat for his very kind and friendly words. You may have heard I am no longer in the government. And I don't pretend to be in the government. Neither did I come here to attack the government. But I feel that I have two great obligations in my life. One as a former foreign minister together with the late Yitzhak Rabin, and then as a prime minister. We made an agreement with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian authority and the Palestinian race. And I feel deeply obliged that every promise we made on behalf of the government, on behalf of the Israel people should be respected." SUPER CAPTION: Labor Party leader and former PM, Shimon Peres In addition to today's meeting with Arafat, Peres is reportedly planning a trip to Morocco to meet with King Hassan II and a visit to King Hussein in Jordan. The Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who narrowly defeated Peres in Israel's May 29 election, insists he is continuing the peace process. But he has so far avoided meeting Arafat, failed to move forward on Israel's five-month overdue troop pullout from the West Bank city of Hebron, and angered Palestinians by ruling out a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip or negotiations over disputed Jerusalem. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...