Arabs Criticize Barak for Calling Time Out to Peace Process
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Violence erupted again today in the West Bank and Gaza. Sunday night, the Israeli military used machine guns atop tanks to fire into the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The military says it was retaliating to shots fired into an Israeli neighborhood outside of Jerusalem. Four Palestinians died Sunday during clashes with Israeli troops. The death toll has climbed to at least 120 people since the latest outbreak of violence began more than three weeks ago. Arab leaders meeting this weekend in Egypt condemned Israel Sunday for the recent surge in violence. They also blasted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak for his decision Sunday to temporary suspend of talks toward a final political settlement. CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney has this report.</s>FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Arab world took a moderate tone in Cairo, but on the streets of Ramallah in the West Bank, the reaction was far less conciliatory. Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen exchange fire from buildings across town, while on the streets below Palestinians throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israelis in Jeeps. It is violence like this over the past three weeks which provided the backdrop for the Arab League summit, with both Palestinians and Israelis closely watching events at Cairo.</s>GILAD SHER, SENIOR BARAK ADVISER: You have heard the voices. There were some extreme voices condemning Israel and alleging all kinds of accusations against Israel. But at the same time, we've seen a very calm and moderate, mild approach from the host of this summit, President Mubarak.</s>SWEENEY: Palestinians had been looking to the Cairo meeting to take their struggle to another dimension; hoping for a clear, unequivocal statement backing their intifada. To most Palestinian minds, it was instead an understatement which will not bring an early end to the intifada.</s>MARWAN BARGHOUTI, FATAH PARTY: The people started this intifada, and the people will decide when this intifada, how much it will continue, when it has to be stopped.</s>SWEENEY: He was speaking after the funeral in Ramallah of 15- year-old Majed Hawamdeh, killed the day before in clashes with Israeli soldiers -- in many ways, a funeral bearing all the hallmarks of other Palestinian funerals except this time without the traditional gunfire. Leaders urged gunmen not to waste bullets by firing into the air, saying weapons should be used to protect the Palestinian people and their country. Elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza, more clashes, more injuries, more deaths. And for both sides, differing views on the fate of the peace process and the Israeli decision to take stock of the situation.</s>HANAN ASHRAWI, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATOR: Well, obviously, there is no peace process right now. Not only has it been effectively destroyed by Israel systematically by destroying confidence, by destroying the constituency for peace even on both sides, but Israeli has been behaving in a manner which is entirely antithetical to the requirements of the peace process.</s>SWEENEY: For the Israelis, a decision to take time out from the process not necessarily meaning an end to it.</s>SHER: Time out is already here. It is just a declaration of an intention of this government to reassess the situation vis-a-vis the peace process.</s>SWEENEY: A reassessment of the violent situation on the ground which shows little sign of abating. (on camera): The reaction among Palestinians to the Arab summit is somewhat less than enthusiastic. It may have left the door open for the peace process to continue, but here on the streets it hasn't stopped the hatred, the anger or the clashes. Fionnuala Sweeney, Ramallah, the West Bank.