JERUSALEM (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Washington's top Middle East troubleshooter was to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Friday in a push to jump-start peace negotiations after 15 months of bloodshed.
Certain to be near the center of discussion during Anthony Zinni's meetings will be Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's demand for seven days of complete quiet before implementing a truce-for-talks plan.
A big drop in violence since Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, under U.S. pressure, called for an end to attacks on Israelis has kindled hopes that Zinni will have more luck than on his last visit.
Zinni aborted that three-week mission after it coincided with some of the worst bloodletting of the Palestinian uprising, which erupted in September 2000 when talks on ending decades of conflict crumbled.
Hours before Zinni arrived on Thursday, Israel claimed it was relaxing its military stranglehold on parts of the West Bank, but Palestinians dismissed the measures as a ploy to deceive the retired U.S. Marine Corps general during his four-day mission.
Israel's Army Radio said Zinni, meeting Israeli security chiefs in Tel Aviv, had recommended dropping the demand of a week's quiet before implementing plans for peace.
Downplaying the report, a Defense Ministry spokesman said the meeting ``was for brainstorming only.'' Israeli sources said the security chiefs emphasized to Zinni that Arafat was still doing too little to curb militants.
Palestinians say the seven-day demand means a lone gunman could sabotage efforts to stop attacks on Israelis.
Since Arafat urged an end to attacks on December 16, one Israeli has been killed. Israel has killed at least 14 Palestinians in that time.
Zinni is due to meet Sharon for breakfast at his farm in the Negev Desert on Friday morning. Later he will move to the West Bank town of Ramallah, where Arafat has his headquarters.