Mideast peace hopes shift to Washington

As two Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers Sunday in the Gaza Strip — ending a two-day lull in deaths — hopes for peace shifted to separate meetings President Bill Clinton will hold with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in Washington this week. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY Jake Siewert confirmed that Clinton will meet Thursday with Arafat and next Sunday with Barak. "The visit is important because it is related to the peace process and to discussion of the continuation of Israeli attacks on Palestinians," said Nabil Abu Rdainah, an adviser to Arafat. Earlier, Danny Yatom, a senior adviser to Barak, said there were no plans for a three-way meeting. In a plea for peace, tens of thousands of Israelis filled a Tel Aviv square Saturday night to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated at the site five years ago by an ultranationalist Israeli opposed to trading land for peace with the Palestinians. Barak said at the rally that he could go to Washington "as soon as next week" to try to bring "peace and calm" to the region.