Palestinians in
Gaza protest
Israel's 50th
anniversary

Bibi Trumps Washington

A staunchly pro-Israel Congress and
enthusiastic greetings from national
Jewish groups have rebuffed
administration pressures.

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

Washington
etting a sharp focus on
efforts to resolve the 14-
month Israeli-Palestinian
standoff got even harder
this week after a dazzling perfor-
mance in Washington and New York
by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, who raised the ante in
his high-stakes contest of wills with
President Clinton.
On Tuesday, rumors were flying
about important incremental progress

G

in the prime minister's meetings with
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright and special U.S. envoy Den-
nis Ross — enough progress to war-
rant an unscheduled meeting on
Monday between Albright and Pales-
tinian leader Yassir Arafat.
There also were sharp public
denials here and in Israel of a break-
through. By Monday, the administra-
tion seemed in full retreat from the
ultimatum it issued two weeks ago
that Israel must give an additional 13

5/22
1998

39