MIDDLE EAST: ISRAEL/PALESTINIAN PEACE DEAL TALKS LATEST

(1 Sep 1999) Hebrew/Eng/Nat Israeli-Palestinian negotiations hit a last-minute snag on Wednesday after the two sides failed to reach agreement on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said he considered the negotiations over unless the Palestinians came up with a new proposal by the time he convened his Cabinet in the afternoon. Shortly after Barak set the deadline, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said he sent two new proposals to the Israelis and was waiting for a response. By the time talks broke off Wednesday on afternoon, Israel/Palestinian disagreements focused on whether Israel would release 350 Palestinians held for anti-Israeli activities, rather than the 400 sought by the Palestinians. The talks did not appear to be in a crisis. Instead, both sides appeared to be trying to make 11th-hour gains before a signing ceremony tentatively scheduled for Thursday in Alexandria, Egypt, in the presence of U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) "I hope to get positive answers from the Palestinians." SUPER CAPTION: Gilead Sher, Israeli Envoy In talks spreading over several weeks, including an all-night session from Tuesday to Wednesday, Palestinian Chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli envoy Gilead Sher had already made considerable progress toward a revised Wye River land-for-security agreement, including on a new timetable for three more Israeli troop pullbacks in the West Bank. Erekat said the negotiators had already written a draft agreement on most points. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I would urge my colleagues and the Israeli government to refrain from any insinuations, ultimatums or threats because we have shown determination, both of us, to pursue a line of solving all differences through the civilised mechanism of negotiations. We will continue, and I hope to hear from my Israeli colleague Mr. Sher about my proposals that I submitted to him to bridge the gaps on both issues and I hope that we can conclude this memorandum to the benefit of both peoples and both leaderships." SUPER CAPTION: Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator However, after Wednesday's session, Barak's office said no further meetings with the Palestinians were planned. The Israeli say if there is no agreement by the end of Wednesday, they will implement the Wye agreement as it stands. The Palestinians had initially insisted on a full implementation of the Wye agreement which calls for Israeli troops to pullback from 13 percent of the West Bank in three stages. The agreement also calls for the release of 750 Palestinian prisoners. However, they agreed to negotiate some changes after Barak offered incentives, including handing over more land at an earlier stage. SOUNDBITE: (English): "We are not going to award the terrorists by stopping the talks, stopping the dialogue, on the contrary. If we want to repulse terrorism, the best way is to strengthen the peace and work hard for peace" SUPER CAPTION: Efraim Sneh, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister If Wye is implemented as it was signed in October at the White House, Barak has some discretion in deciding whether to release mainly Palestinian security prisoners or common criminals, as was done by his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli government is aware that releasing security prisoners is bound to provoke controversy in Israel. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew): SUPER CAPTION: Zeev Rap, Bereaved Father However, Israel would also lose by implementing Wye without changes. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...