Palestinians: Israel Not Easing Grip on Eve of Vote
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Palestinians accused Israel  of not carrying out a promised easing of its military grip on  the West Bank and Gaza for a presidential election to pick  Yasser Arafat's successor.
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon survived  two no-confidence votes in Israel's parliament on Monday,  clinging to power as he seeks to push through a disputed plan  for withdrawal from some occupied territory.
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Israel shut Palestinian voter  registration offices in Arab East Jerusalem Monday that had  been opened in advance of an as-yet unscheduled Palestinian  general election, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
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Israeli army officials said that they had stopped most search-and-arrest operations against Palestinian militants and were easing security restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to allow Palestinians greater freedom to vote Sunday for a new president.
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expected to be a test of strength between the dominant Fatah movement and Islamists sworn to destroying Israel. the elections. A similar poll in the Gaza Strip was delayed because violence prevented registration.
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The Palestinians will not accept an interim settlement with Israel, Palestine Liberation Organization chief Mahmoud Abbas told the Arab League during a visit to Egypt yesterday.
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Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad on Monday accused Israel of failing to keep its commitments to freeze Jewish settlement activity and to ease checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility on the West Bank.
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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt  - Members of the Quartet  of Middle East peace mediators urged Israel Tuesday to ease  restrictions on Palestinians ahead of January elections to  choose a successor to late President Yasser Arafat.
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JERUSALEM Aug. 19, 2004  Embattled leaders Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat rebuffed demands from their backers Thursday, holding steadfast to positions posing great political risk: Sharon insisted he will press on with efforts to pull out of Gaza ...
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Israel will slow a planned pullback  from West Bank cities because of Gaza violence that has frayed  a de facto cease-fire and raised doubts Palestinians can keep  militants in check, officials said on Tuesday.
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Palestinian leaders scrambled Friday to avoid a rift within their ranks as they prepare for January 9 general elections to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat.
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Israeli leaders told Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday that they will do their utmost to allow Palestinian elections to take place, including easing travel restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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RAMALLAH, West Bank  - A deadly Palestinian attack  in the West Bank drew a threat from Israel Saturday to scrap a  promise to limit military operations on the eve of a  presidential election to pick a successor to Yasser Arafat.
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Israel is going to slow its planned pullout from five West Bank towns after a day of violence strained an informal cease-fire, and will stop the process altogether if Palestinians don't halt all attacks on Israeli targets, Israeli security officials said Tuesday.
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Palestinians began registering candidates on Saturday for a presidential election to replace Yasser Arafat, while officials warned the vote may be delayed if Israel does not halt military activities.
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JERUSALEM - The Israeli parliament gave a symbolic slap to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, voting against a statement defending his Gaza pullout plan, but he survived two no-confidence motions and pledged to bring the withdrawal itself to a vote in two weeks.    The maneuvering came Monday at the opening of the winter session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, with Sharon heading a government that lost its majority over the Gaza pullout and is vulnerable to being toppled...
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Description: Palestinians prepare to vote for new leadership in a Jan. 9 election that no longer looks like a tight race. There are seven candidates for the presidency, but interim leader Mahmoud Abbas&#39; victory now seems assured.