Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday warned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat against unilaterally declaring an independent Palestinian state, according to Koichi Kato, the former secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party.
In a meeting Sunday night with Kato, Barak said that Arafat could make such a declaration on Sept. 13, the deadline for concluding a peace treaty with Israel, but that it would lead to "the destruction of his own people," Kato told Japanese reporters. Arafat is poised to declare an independent Palestinian state on that day even if no agreement with Israel has been struck.
Kato held talks with Arafat on Saturday.
Kato told Barak that it would become difficult for the Japanese government to extend economic aid to Palestinians if the unilateral declaration was made and that he had informed Arafat of the position during Saturday's talks.
Kato asked Barak for efforts on the part of Israel toward a comprehensive peace deal with Palestinian authorities.
Kato is also slated to hold talks with the leaders of Jordan, Syria and Egypt to discuss the stalled Middle East peace process, Japanese economic aid and other issues before returning to Japan on Aug. 21.