Marwan Barghouti, leader of the Tanzim militia loyal to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, marched with the crowd. This man will fail to do so. None of those involved in the closed three-way meeting addressed reporters. Previous security talks mediated at a lower level by the Americans, most recently May 30, have ended inconclusively, with each side blaming the other. In one round, Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan and his bodyguards came under Israeli fire.
Circumstances remain uncertain.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will head to the Middle East next week to press for an end to the violence and a resumption of peace talks. We don't know how long it will last. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told U.S. Mideast envoy William Burns there was no chance of a Palestinian state as long as Palestinian militias were active on the ground, Israel's army radio reported. Though trouble on the ground has diminished, Israel contends Arafat isn't doing enough to arrest militants and halt attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. Stone-throwing is frequent and often draws Israeli fire, in turn inciting rhetoric and roadside shootings, which Israelis consider within Arafat's ability to curb.