Israel, U.S. React Warily to Arafat Truce Speech; EU More Optimistic

27/05/2001| IslamWeb

JERUSALEM (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Israel and the United States responded warily to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's call for an end to Resistance bombings and armed attacks on Israelis.
Arafat also demanded the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stop its ''brutal war'' against the Palestinian Authority.
He did not formally declare an end to the Palestinian uprising for independence as some Israeli media reports had predicted, but repeated a call to Israel to resume peace negotiations -- which it has said it will not hold under fire.
The initial reaction from Israel, which has retaliated for recent Resistance bombings and shooting attacks with air raids and roundups of militants, reflected the wait-and-see attitude it has often adopted to pledges of truce by Arafat in the past.
The White House said Arafat's speech held ``constructive words, but what's important is that they be followed up by concrete action.''
The European Union took a more optimistic line, saying Arafat's speech to the Palestinian people on Sunday -- made under strong international pressure -- appeared to open a new window of opportunity for ending some 15 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.