Arafat OK With Peace Plan Launch

Senior Palestinian officials flip-flopped Sunday before agreeing at the last minute to attend the high-profile launch in Switzerland of a symbolic peace plan, heightening Israeli fears about the Palestinians' ability to commit to even a nonbinding peace agreement.

The Palestinian negotiators, who were threatened by militants, only agreed to attend the ceremony after receiving Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's blessing.

The wavering revealed a split within the Palestinian Authority and among Palestinians about the "Geneva Accord," a detailed vision for the borders of a Palestinian state and an end to a century of Mideast conflict. The accord was to be officially unveiled Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, in the presence of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Arab officials and other luminaries.

The last-minute question about Palestinian participation also fueled already strong Israeli doubts about the possibility of getting the Palestinians to commit to even an informal deal. "Any Palestinian distancing from the agreement cancels its very basis, because what it is selling is a Palestinian partner," said Channel Two TV diplomatic reporter Rina Mazliah. "What almost happened today strengthens the Israeli opponents of the accord."

In less than two months, the test treaty has had a strong impact locally, garnered praise from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and drawn strong support from both the Israeli and Palestinian public.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recently announced he would take unspecified "unilateral steps" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip if no peace deal is reached soon. However, he has condemned the Geneva Accord, calling the opposition officials who negotiated it subversive. Arafat has offered only vague support and some key officials of the ruling Fatah group have distanced themselves from it.

Its creators present the agreement as a complement to the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, which does not spell out exact borders or deal with the other thorny issues that have derailed previous peace efforts.

The virtual agreement includes unprecedented concessions by both sides. It would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state in 98 percent of the West Bank, all the Gaza Strip and part of Jerusalem. Israel would give up control of important holy sites, and the Palestinians would forgo the "right of return" of war refugees to Israel.

On Sunday, two Palestinian Cabinet ministers and two influential legislators who helped negotiate the plan said they were withdrawing from the ceremony. They changed their minds hours later, after Arafat backed their participation, overriding criticism from Fatah hard-liners.

"We said that we are not going without clear authorization," said Cabinet minister Qadoura Fares. "Now we have received a clear authorization from the head of the Palestinian Authority."

The Palestinian participants had been under intense pressure by militants, angry over the concession on refugees.

In a leaflet, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades linked to Fatah called them "collaborators," a loaded term that often marks Palestinians for death. Masked gunmen also shot at the home of former Cabinet minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, a key architect of the agreement.

On Sunday, Palestinian youth scuffled with delegates trying to leave Gaza for the ceremony, calling them "traitorous" and blocking the delegation's cars for about 45 minutes.

Arafat initially refused to give the officials written approval for the trip. After he decided to give them his support, Fares agreed to make the trip, along with Cabinet minister Hisham Abdel Razek and legislator Khatem Abdel Khader, all Fatah members. Another would-be participant said he would stay behind to market the agreement. Arafat's national security adviser Jibril Rajoub was also going.

The wavering was part of an ongoing power struggle between old-guard Palestinian hawks and young politicians open to making concessions with Israel in exchange for a Palestinian state.

Israeli negotiators remained upbeat.

"What is very clear is that they are having their own debate," chief Israeli negotiator and ex-Justice Minister Yossi Beilin said in an interview. "It is just a demonstration of the difficulties that both sides are facing."

The launch Monday will be attended by hundreds of Palestinian and Israelis, as well as the foreign minister of Qatar and envoys from Oman and Bahrain, all Arab states that have no formal relations with Israel, organizers said.

Envoys from Morocco and Egypt will also participate, along with a Saudi businessman with links to the government and three Nobel Peace laureates: Carter, former Polish President Lech Walesa, and Northern Ireland peace negotiator John Hume.

A recent poll by U.S. organizations found a majority of Israelis and Palestinians support the outlines of the agreement, which has been mailed to every home in Israel and published in Palestinian newspapers.

"If we have a significant majority in public opinion, eventually there will be a change in policies," Beilin said.

Also Sunday, U.S. Mideast envoy William Burns met with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and urged Israeli officials to dismantle unauthorized outposts in the West Bank. Burns also expressed concern over Israel's construction of a West Bank security barrier that dips deep into the territory in several areas, but stopped short of siding with Palestinian demands that the project be halted.

The meeting came a day after Burns met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia. "We continue to focus ... on the moment of opportunity here with regard to the road map," Burns said.

Israeli and Palestinian officials also met to prepare the agenda for a possible meeting of their prime ministers, but failed to reach final agreement.