" I would like to hold as soon as possible new elections throughout the Palestinian Authority - presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections. But the occupation authorities make it impossible for us to proceed with so much as voter registration " said the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to a delegation of about 20 activists of Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc) who this morning visited the presidential compound at Ramallah.

" Does that mean that Muhammad Dahlan would also be able to run for president against you? " asked one of the Israeli activists, referring to the former Gaza security chief who recently gave several newspaper interviews critical of Arafat. " Certainly, anyone in the Palestinian territories could run in the elections - but Dahlan called me a few days ago and said he does not intend to challenge me " answered Arafat. He noted that elections are impossible when voters and candidates cannot move freely between cities and when candidates who meet Israel 's disapproval can be hauled off to Israeli prisons or " liquidated " by Apache helicopters.

The elections issue was later taken up during the impromptu press conference held by the Israeli delegation on the outside steps of the building, still showing the scars of various invasions and incursions by Israeli forces. " Had the Sharon Government been serious in its declared quest for 'a credible Palestinian partner it would not have had to look far " said Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom. " All that would be needed is to facilitate free Palestinian elections under international supervision - as was done in 1995, when Arafat was elected by a large majority - and then open negotiations with whoever wins, the incumbent or somebody new. But that is the very last thing our Prime Minster wants. He prefers to continue his enormous campaign of defamation and incitement, in Israel , the US and the rest of the world, continue to moan that 'there is no partner' and go on with acts of oppression and with the building of walls and settlements. We of Gush Shalom came here as patriotic Israelis. We came to meet with the person who got the confidence of the Palestinian people the last time they were asked for their opinion, and who by all indications would have gotten it again had elections been held now. We came to meet the only Palestinian leader who is able and willing to make peace with the state of Israel , and to get for such a peace wide support among Palestinians.

Another subject prominent on the agenda of the Israelis' meeting with Arafat was Sharon 's declared plan of " disengaging from Gaza " . Asked several times if he thought Sharon would actually go through with it, Arafat answered " I hope so " . He added " What I don't understand is why Sharon needs 17 months to get ready to withdraw from there. After all, it took Israel just six hours to evacuate all of South Lebanon , an area more then ten times the Gaza Strip. "

" If Israel does withdraw, we can and will take up management of the Strip. But Sharon is certainly not making things easy with the widespread destruction his army is perpetrating there daily. For example, in normal times the Palestinian hothouses around Gaza are highly productive, in this very small area they have an agricultural output about 30% of the whole Kingdom of Jordan . But now many of the hothouses are destroyed by the army, these farmers can't support the economy, we have to support them.

The Palestinian Authority's ability to support people is hampered by the Israeli government violating the agreement on taxes. Since Israel controls all the borders, it was agreed in 1994 that Israeli customers will collect the customs duties on the merchandise coming to us, deduct a 3% fee and pass to us the other 97%. In normal times, it came to 70 or 80 million Shekels per month (14 to 16 million, in US Dollars), This was a big part of our budget, but now for more than three years the Israelis are depriving us of it, except for a very small part which they gave Finance Minister Fayad as a kind of favor. But we don't ask for favors, this is our money which we should get from customs like every other government in the world.

Arafat repeated several times his wish for a cease-fire with Israel " a full cease-fire in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank . " But at the moment Sharon is not willing to negotiate, except for local coordination between military commanders at the Beit Hanoun area [north Gaza Strip]. " We want to reach a cease-fire. I have no problem negotiating with Sharon . I have no problem meeting him personally, or if he doesn't want that - through intermediaries. We met Sharon and Netanyahu at the Wye River Conference, and we signed an agreement. I have no problem repeating that. "

One of the Israeli activists remarked that at Wye Sharon had refused to shake Arafat's hand. " Yes, he refused to shake my hand, but he signed an agreement with me nonetheless. And Netanyahu did shake my hand, even called me his friend. "

The conversation then shifted to the feasibility of a cease-fire with all the Palestinian factions involved. " If we reach a cease-fire, I will enforce it on all the factions, I am not joking. Yesterday, the spokesman of Islamic Jihad, Muhammad el-Hindi, declared that his organization will accept an agreement signed by the Palestinian Authority. Haled Mash'al, head of the Hamas Political Bureau, is now in Egypt for talks about a cease-fire. Since he can't get into the territories, I talk with him on the phone. In 1981, when we were in Lebanon , i signed an agreement to stop shooting missiles on the Galilee . When the people of the Popular Front and the Democratic Front wanted to go on shooting missiles, I put them in prison. I am not joking, if we sign an agreement for cease-fire including the end of shooting missiles on Israel , then it will stop. "

There was a specific question regarding the " El-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. " Arafat answered: This organization is not part of the Fatah Movement; some of the people there say that I am their supreme commander, but they get money from Iran via Munir Maqdah [a Lebanon-based Palestinian officer, who rebelled against Arafat some years ago]. But as I said, I am not joking. If there is a cease-fire, it will apply to them like everybody else.

The final part of the meeting, Arafat went into historical reminiscences. " After Oslo , I met in Amman with Rabin and King Hussein. We discussed the possibility of a Benelux-type framework between Israel , Palestine and Jordan . I got afterwards some feelers from Lebanon of their being interested to be included as well. The murder of Rabin ended all this, I hope that some day it would be possible to take it up again. "

For more information:

Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 050-6709603