Arafat's support for Geneva peace blueprint sparks refugee protests

Despite a crescendo of protests from Palestinian refugees, Yasser Arafat yesterday threw his weight behind an unofficial blueprint for a two-state solution, which is to be launched in Geneva today amid fanfare.

Two ministers representing Mr Arafat's Fatah movement had cancelled their trip to the signing ceremony after the Palestinian leader declined to give the accords his seal of approval. But one of them, Kadoura Fares, told The Independent they would go with three other Fatah signatories. "There is a blessing and permission to travel," he said.

At Mr Arafat's request, Jibril Rajoub, his national security adviser, will join the Palestinian delegation. Mr Arafat had encouraged the Geneva negotiators earlier, but declined to commit himself to the details, which include surrender of the refugees' right to return to their old homes in Israel. He is still not bound by them.

That will not satisfy the long-suffering refugees. Palestinian police had to restrain dozens of protesters who beat members of the Palestinian contingent as they crossed from the Gaza Strip into Egypt on their way to Switzerland. On the West Bank, more than 100 armed members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, affiliated to Fatah, marched in the Balata refugee camp in protest at the accords.

The Committee for the Defence of Palestinian Refugees' Rights called for a "day of rage". The actor, Richard Dreyfuss, will be the master of ceremonies and the launch will be witnessed by the Nobel peace prize-winners Jimmy Carter, John Hume and Lech Walesa, and representatives of Egypt, Jordan and four Gulf states.

Tayseer Nasrallah, the protest organiser, said: "If the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation drop our right of return, they will forfeit any right to represent the millions of refugees." He called for the signatories to be dismissed and threatened to found a rival national movement to continue the struggle. Last Tuesday, gunmen fired into the Ramallah home of Yasser Abed Rabbo, a former information minister who led the Palestinian Geneva team. "It was just a warning," a Palestinian intelligence officer said.

But Daniel Levy, an aide to Yossi Beilin, the chief Israeli Geneva negotiator, said: "The Fatah signatories remain committed and they're working to build support. What we're seeing is a serious debate on both sides, challenging what has been going on here for the past three years. That was what was lacking."

In the sweaty world of real diplomacy, senior Israeli and Palestinian officials met yesterday to prepare the ground for a summit between their respective Prime Ministers, Ariel Sharon and Ahmad Qureia. And the United States has returned to the field.

William Burns, the assistant secretary of state, met Mr Qureia on Saturday and Mr Sharon last night.

The Palestinians are demanding that Israel stop building its West Bank security fence. Israel is demanding solid steps against the gunmen and the bombers. Mr Qureia said in Ramallah: "As long as Israel continues to build the fence, there is no point or interest in meeting with Sharon."

But they are still aiming for a summit in the middle of this month. "Both sides will flex their muscles," an Israeli official said. "Then they will meet."

¿ A car blew up in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday killing a member of Islamic Jihad. Yusuf Abu Matar, 33, who was also a Palestinian policeman, died minutes after his car exploded in the Rafah refugee camp, near the Egyptian border. Palestinian security sources said they were investigating whether Mr Matar's car had been booby-trapped.