Barak: No Talks Until Less Violence

Sunday, January 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

JERUSALEM (AP) â€” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reiterated Sunday that Israel will not discuss U.S. peace proposals unless the Palestinian Authority reduces the level of violence and incitement against Israel. However, unrest has already fallen off in recent days in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Barak was addressing his Cabinet hours before Israeli and Palestinian representatives were due to meet in Cairo with George Tenet, head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, to talk about ways to reduce the violence.

More than three months of clashes have left 359 people dead, nearly all of them Palestinians.

As time runs down on President Clinton's term â€” he leaves office Jan. 20 â€” there are indications he is shifting his goal from a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians to a declaration to guide the incoming administration of President-elect Bush.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, returning from talks in Amman with King Abdullah II and Jordanian officials, said Palestinians were still awaiting more information about U.S. proposals.

``We are waiting to hear the American clarification about all these issues before we give our answers,'' he told reporters in the Gaza Strip.

Barak's comments came as he briefed the Cabinet on last week's Washington talks of Israeli envoy Gilead Sher on Clinton's compromise proposals to Israel and the Palestinians. He said Israel would not proceed further with the discussions unless attacks against Israelis are reduced.

``The reduction of the violence and incitement is the first objective on the way to further clarification concerning the replies of the parties to the president's ideas,'' the statement said.

In response to a string of attacks, Israel last week blockaded the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians have demanded the lifting of that stringent closure.

Even if security problems are overcome, Barak has said he does not think there is enough time before the end of Clinton's term for the two sides to negotiate and draft a final peace treaty.

Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, the front-runner in the campaign for prime minister, on Sunday accused Barak of offering to allow the United Nations Security Council a voice in one of the most sensitive issues in the peace talks, the future of a Jewish and Muslim holy site in Jerusalem.

In the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Sharon claimed that Sher, on Barak's instructions, asked Clinton to issue a presidential declaration that would empower the Security Council to decide whether Israel or the Palestinians will have sovereignty over the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram as-Sharif, or Holy Sanctuary.

The sanctuary is the location of the Al-Aqsa mosque and is Islam's third holiest site, but it is also the site of the first and second Jewish temples.

There was no immediate comment from the prime minister's office on Sharon's contention. Sharon has already said if he wins the Feb. 6 election, he will not honor any peace agreement negotiated by Barak.

While there were relatively few shooting incidents over the weekend, an Israeli patrol on Sunday discovered two bombs that had been planted close to the fence which divides the Gaza Strip from Israel, the army spokesman said.

Israeli security forces caught two Palestinians as they were climbing the fence into Israel and arrested two other persons who were waiting for them on the Israeli side, army radio reported. The security forces suspected that the infiltrators planned to carry out an attack and the other two intended to aid them, the radio said.

The incident took place on Friday, the radio said, but was not announced until Sunday.