Mideast Peace Talks Set To Resume Today Latest Round May Be Last Hope For Rescuing The Peace Process

Some 30,000 Palestinians welcomed Yasser Arafat home Saturday on the eve of a visit by Secretary of State Warren Christopher and talks that could decide the fate of the battered Mideast peace effort.

The crowd waved Palestinian flags as Arafat drove into the Gaza Strip from Egypt, his last stop on a tour that took him to Mideast capitals, Europe and a Washington summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was an impressive show of support for Arafat as he heads into talks with the Israeli government.

In Egypt, Arafat and President Hosni Mubarak discussed the peace process, and neither spoke with reporters after the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said Arabs states were awaiting the outcome of today’s talks before declaring the U.S. summit a success or failure.

The summit last week was hastily convened by President Clinton. It failed to produce an agreement, but Arafat and Netanyahu promised to negotiate non-stop until solutions are found.

Talks were to open today at the Erez Checkpoint on the Israel-Gaza border between Israel’s former military chief Dan Shomron and Arafat aide Saeb Erakat. U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross will attend.

Christopher arrives in Israel today and will not take part in the talks, but will meet with Netanyahu and Arafat.

Moussa said the key question underlying the upcoming talks is “whether the new Israeli government is committed” to previous peace agreements.

The talks are widely seen as the last hope for rescuing the peace process, all but shattered late last month by gun battles in which 59 Palestinians, 16 Israelis and three Egyptians died.

Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said the Palestinians want simply the implementation of what has been agreed. “We will not renegotiate the agreement. We will not reopen the agreement,” he said.