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Arafat Seeks Arab Support for U.S. Peace Proposals

HeadlineJan 04, 2001

Yasser Arafat sought support from Arab governments today amid deep reservations in the Arab world toward U.S. peace proposals the Palestinian leader is said to have accepted as a basis for talks with Israel. Arafat first briefed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on his talks this week with President Clinton in Washington. Arafat then met Arab foreign ministers gathered at the Arab League in Cairo. Many in the Arab world have spoken out against a major concession in the U.S. proposals surrendering the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in Israel. The Syrian foreign minister, whose state media repeatedly denounced the U.S. proposals in recent days, reportedly opened the Arab League meeting by saying the plan should not even be discussed. The Lebanese foreign minister, among those meeting with Arafat today, said the day before that the right to return was sacred. Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath said yesterday that Arafat, who has not spoken publicly on the U.S. ideas, would only make a final answer to the U.S. plan after the talks at the Arab League meeting.

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