October 18, 2001 Cheshvan 1, 5762 Israel Time: 02:25 (GMT+2)

U.S. pressures Arafat to act

Although the Palestinian Authority condemned the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat came under intense international pressure last night to take strong action against the PFLP.

By Gideon Alon, Aluf Benn and Amira Hass

Although the Palestinian Authority condemned the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat came under intense international pressure last night to take strong action against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine after it claimed responsibility for the murder.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon laid full blame for the assassination at the feet of Arafat and made clear in his Knesset eulogy that if Arafat does not take immediate action against those responsible for the assassination, Israel would.

U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem Ronald Schlicher met with Arafat, and demanded that he take swift action against those responsible for the assassination. European Union nations were also pressing the Palestinians to make arrests, a senior Palestinian security source said.

U.N. Middle East envoy Terje Larsen met three times with Arafat, telling the Palestinian leader that he must order the arrests of the murderers. Larsen initiated a phone call between Arafat and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, in which Peres also insisted that Arafat immediately take action against the PFLP.

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer also spoke with Peres and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The U.S. message to Israel appeared to be a plea for Israeli restraint.

Sharon, apparently deliberately echoing President George W. Bush's remarks after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington last month, told an emergency meeting of senior ministers that after the killing of cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi, "the situation is different today, and will not again be like it was yesterday."

In a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, PFLP supporters cheered, danced and distributed sweets to celebrate the assassination.

The government has canceled steps instituted earlier this week to ease the plight of the Palestinians in the territories. It swiftly reimposed travel restrictions in the West Bank and restored a tight blockade around Ramallah and other areas in the West Bank.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001