WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said on Monday he plans to meet with Yasser Arafat when the Palestinian president returns from a trip to Syria later this week.
Peres, in an interview on CNN's ``Larry King Live, said Arafat must make a choice between ``terror and legitimacy'' as an international leader, and ``invest more of his authority, of his control'' to end violence in the Middle East. (Read photo caption below)
``I think Arafat has learned that he has to make a choice. He cannot have terror and legitimacy at the same time. And if he wants to maintain his international legitimacy, he has to give up terror completely,'' Peres said, according to an advance transcript of his remarks on CNN.
``Like in a no-smoking room, you cannot enter with a smoking cigar. So in a world that fights violence, you cannot enter with a gun hidden behind you,'' he said.
Before departing for Amman earlier in the day, Arafat told reporters he had agreed with Peres and European Union envoy Miguel Moratinos to meet when he returns from his travels.
A meeting between Peres and Arafat, originally planned on Sunday to discuss ways to strengthen a shaky cease-fire announced last week, was canceled by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon because of what he called continuing Palestinian attacks.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres pauses prior to a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland in Tel Aviv, Israel Monday Sept. 24, 2001. Peres said that he believes a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will eventually take place. The United States wants Arafat and Peres to meet as soon as possible to work out a formal cease-fire. A fresh outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence would hamper Washington's efforts to bring Arab and Muslim states into an international alliance against Islamic militants. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi)
- Sep 24 10:53 AM ET