Britain Rebuffs Sharon Bid to Change EU Stance on Arafat

However on the question of Arafat, Sharon appears to have come away empty-handed.
The Israeli leader arrived here Sunday on a mission to mend frayed ties with London, bringing with him a firm line about the need to ostracize Arafat and about Europe’s attitude towards Israel.

He raised the issue at a morning meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and is believed to have done so later at dinner with Blair in Downing Street.

A British government official earlier confirmed that Sharon raised the question of "dealing" with Arafat, but added that Straw made it clear that the British position was similar to the wider EU stance.

"As the democratically elected leader of the Palestinian Authority, we will continue to have contacts with President Arafat where we judge it to be useful," the official explained.
Prior to Sharon’s meeting with Straw, an Israeli source said: "The prime minister will say that Arafat remains the major obstacle on the road to peace because of his relentless efforts to undermine the process and Abu Mazen."

Last week Sharon told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that European leaders were making a "major mistake" by keeping up contacts with Arafat, whom Israel accuses of trying to derail the roadmap and undermine reforms.

"We want the Europeans to assist in putting pressure on the Palestinian Authority and the Arab countries to neutralise Arafat and put in him into a position where he does not control the money and security services," the Israeli source said.

"If the European countries want to play a constructive role in the peace process they should not meet with Arafat," he said.

Israeli Stabbed to Death

A Palestinian man stabbed to death one person and wounded two others in an attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Jewish sources said.
The 23-year-old assailant was shot and arrested and left a large, bloody knife on the ground after the attack on a seaside promenade, said Israeli officials.

The attacker, who was from East Jerusalem, stabbed a security guard who prevented him entering the open-air Tarabin restaurant at around 1:30 a.m. in Israel’s main commercial city, police said.

He then stabbed two passersby as he fled along a promenade by the Mediterranean Sea. Another security guard eventually shot the Palestinian about 500 meters from the restaurant.