Mideast Hopes Dim as Violence Flares
J E R U S A L E M, Jan. 5 -- A night of clashes during which a Palestinian was killed deepened skepticism today among Israelis and Palestinians that a peace deal could be reached before President Bill Clinton leaves office.
The Israeli army said troops shot a Palestinian dead nearthe Erez Crossing on the Israel-Gaza border as he was trying to cross a security fence to attack an army post.
It said its patrols and military posts came underPalestinian fire in 10 locations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip overnight.
The death, the first in three days, brought the toll from 14 weeks of violence to more than 300, mostly Palestinians.
The new violence cast a cloud over Washington’s efforts toinject new momentum into its bid to broker a historic peacetreaty before Clinton steps down on January 20.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s envoy, Gilead Sher, said after talks with U.S. officials in Washington that he did not expect Clinton to break the deadlock in the 15 days left of his presidency.
The pessimism was echoed by Palestinian negotiators who said disputes on the fate of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, Jewish settlements and borders were too complicated to resolve in the short space of time left.
Sharon Leads in Polls
Opinion polls in Israeli newspapers today indicatedthat, should Clinton fail in his bid for a deal, Palestinians would probably have to contend with a hard-line Israeli government in future negotiations.
Polls predicted right-wing Likud leader Ariel Sharon wouldeasily defeat Barak in a prime ministerial election on February 6 and that his lead was increasing daily.
Nabil Shaath, a Palestinian cabinet minister and seniornegotiator, said the best he hoped for was for Clinton to put the talks back on track so his successor, George W. Bush, “would not inherit destroyed or explosive political conditions.”
Sher, chief of staff in Barak’s office, said in a telephoneinterview with Israel Radio from Washington that not only did he not expect a deal to be wrapped up under Clinton’s patronage, but he doubted much progress would be made in the coming weeks.
