Mr. Fischer, who is also the leader of the German Green Party, the junior party in the Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Government met with the Palestinian leader on 21 August in Ramallah, in an effort sponsored by the European Union to put back the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian negotiations back on the track.

He had earlier talked with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister and Likud leader Ariel Sharon and Mr. Peres, who leads the rival Labour Party, discussing ways and means to revive the Mitchell project, from the name of the US senator who proposed a cease-fire accompanied with a complete ban on the construction of new settlements by Israel on Palestinian lands.

When urging Mr. Arafat to accept meeting Mr. Peres, the Palestinian Authority President accepted, albeit reluctantly, but then suggested the meeting should take place in the German reunified Capital Berlin.

"Without rejecting Mr. Arafat’s proposal, Fischer had observed that there were other places nearer to the region where the talks could take place. But Arafat did not, or fainted not to get the point", the source added.

Mr. Fischer, Germany and one of Europe’s most popular politician, went to the troubled Middle East Monday, insisting he was not travelling as a mediator, but bringing his own brick to the falling down Middle East peace wall.

Back in Berlin, Mr. Fischer’s spokesman said he would continue to follow up and monitor the (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict closely and remain in constant touch with both parties until he reaches some results.

From Warsaw where he is on an official visit, Mr. Peres reiterated his readiness to go ahead with the meeting, stressing that he might need more than one meeting if they were to reach a cease-fire.

But in Tel Aviv, some Israeli sources expressed serous doubts concerning the Peres-Arafat meeting in Berlin.

Speaking at a news conference from Crawford, Texas, the American president George W. Bush urged Mr. Arafat to do his best to stop violence.

"Yaser Arafat could help stop the violence in the Middle East if he made a bigger effort", The Republican President said, adding that the Israelis will not negotiate under terrorist threat".

His remarks came one day after the Palestinians put off a bid for a new U.N. Security Council resolution aimedat sending international forces to "save the Palestinians from Israeli attacks", a proposal faced by threats from Washington to veto it if approved by the 15-members Council.

After a week of behind-the-scene arguments, Mr.Nasser al-Kidwa, the chief Palestinian U.N. delegate, on Friday withdrew his draft resolution, saying it would be revived at a later day.

In December, the United States was spared its veto when a similar measure received one less vote than required.

A majority of the 15-member council, including Britain, France, Norway and Ireland, would have liked to negotiate a resolution, but thought another U.S. veto would have a negative impact.

Most members wanted to see the council stake out a position on the Middle East crisis, fearing the council would otherwise be downgraded and lose its effectiveness on other issues, such as sanctions against Iraq.

But Israel, backed by the United States, wants no council action, apprehensive that an internationalisation of the crisis would work against it.
Arab, American and European sources said in case the Berlin meeting leads to anything substantially positive, then Mr. Bush might invite the Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak, the Jordanian King Abdallah, the Palestinian leader Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon for a Summit in Washington. ENDS FISCHER MIDDLE EAST 25801