[Dog Gone]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can't trust an Israeli newspaper. What I'm objecting to is that there is no way for any of us to see for ourselves what those newspapers reported and how they reported it. That isn't the fault of anyone here; it's just a fact. All we have to examine is the statement of an editor who says he lifted those quotes from those papers.

I believe him, but that doesn't resolve my objection. If this is the extent of the information that we are going to be able to glean from Israeli sources, then I'm still puzzled as to why this isn't bigger news and being trumpeted in the Jerusalem Post or American newspapers. The quotes, if accurately portrayed, cut Arafat off at the knees and suggest that we no longer recognize him as the legitimate leader of the Palestinians. The lack of press coverage of that is incongruous with that.

[monkeyshine]

The quote, IMHO, just doesn't go as far as you are saying it does. It does not cut him off at the knees. I read it at saying that he is making himself more irrelevant, and that dealing with others 'in conjunction' with Arafat may be more fruitful.... That dealing with Arafat alone is pointless because he alone cannot deliver. Hence, the others (Jabryl, Dahlan) will be given more prominence in the negotiations.