Barrier dispute threatens Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

JERUSALEM - Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority seem to be in jeopardy yet again.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected his Palestinian counterpart's demand that, as a condition of peace talks, Israel stop its construction of a separation barrier through the West Bank. Sharon said at a cabinet meeting that "no condition shall be accepted regarding the cessation of the fence, dismantling of the fence and other fabrications."

A day earlier, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia threatened to pull out of peace talks with Israel unless it halt construction of the controversial barrier.

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Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, a man who belonged to Islamic Jihad and to the Palestinian police force was killed when his car blew up in the Rafah refugee camp.

<http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/11/30/qureia_mideast031130http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/11/30/qureia_mideast031130>

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