President Arafat to Secretary Powell:

"The Israeli occupation is the most severe form of violence"

February 25, 2001

A senior Palestinian official described the meeting that took place Sunday, February 25, 2001 in Ramallah between President Arafat and US Secretary of State Collin Powell as "positive and very frank".

The official revealed that President Arafat highlighted to Secretary Powell during the meeting two important points:

First: Ending the violence requires a return to the Sharm Al-Sheikh understandings that called for an end to Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and a lifting of all forms of siege and collective punishment.

Second: Israel is trying to limit the solution to the problem to the issue of Palestinian funds that are being withheld.  This Israeli attempt aims at ignoring all other important issues, and enables Israel to continue its current policies. 

The official quoted President Arafat addressing the Secretary: "the Israeli occupation is the most severe form of violence, and the settlement policy is the most dangerous aspect of the occupation's aggression against the Palestinian people." 

The source added that the Palestinian President called on the United States to adopt proactive measures to bring Israeli settlement activities to an end, including the dispatch of international observers (American observers also included) to the Palestinian territories.  Also, President Arafat demanded international protection for the Palestinian people. 

The official said that President Arafat did not oppose a convening of trilateral Palestinian-American-Israeli security meetings. 

Regarding the resumption of the peace process, President Arafat affirmed that any resumption must take place from where negotiations left-off, the point reached in Taba.  Also, he asked that the US administration exert efforts to bring Israel to respect all signed agreements. 

On his part, the US secretary of State - according to the source - sought, during the meeting, to search for common ground between the Palestinian and Israeli positions.  Secretary Powell affirmed that he does not accuse one party only for the on-going violence, rather he understands that the sources of violence are from both sides, and that there is a need to bring an end to the violence.

Secretary Powell clarified that Washington did not decide yet on the point of resumption for negotiations.

According to the source, Secretary Powell expressed a good deal of understanding to the Palestinian demand that Israel bring settlement activities to an end in all of the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem.

The official concluded: "We felt that the American position understands the danger that settlement activity poses to the peace process, and the need to bring this Israeli practice to a full end."  He added "there was an agreement to maintain strong contacts between the two parties at all times."