Jerusalem - With just 37 days remaining before Mr Yasser Arafat has vowed to declare an independent Palestine state, Israelis and Palestinians are preparing the ground for a second encounter at Camp David, Palestinian negotiators said yesterday.
Israeli newspapers reported yesterday the Clinton administration was working behind the scenes to convene a second summit, possibly in late September. The Ha'aretz newspaper said secret talks got under way last week between Israeli cabinet ministers and senior Palestinian officials to explore potential areas for compromise on the most contentious issues dividing them: the status of the square kilometre of hallowed ground within the old walled city of Jerusalem, and the future of 3.6 million registered Palestinian refugees.