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Moves to kickstart ME peace plan as Palestinians mourn Arafat

JERUSALEM, Sunday (AFP)

With the Palestinian territories in official mourning for Yasser Arafat, there were tentative signs over the weekend that Israel and the international community were ready to revive the moribund Middle East peace process following the death of the Palestinian leader.

Egypt called for a new Middle East peace push by the main world powers alongside a planned Iraq conference it is hosting later this month.

"Egypt supports the holding of a meeting of the quartet backing the roadmap between Palestinians and Israelis, on the sidelines of the international conference on Iraq at Sharm el-Sheikh from November 22 to 23," Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told journalists in Cairo. The US State Department on Friday raised the possibility of a meeting of the peace plan's four sponsors - the European Union, Russia and the United Nations as well as the United States - on the margins of the Iraq meeting in the Sinai resort.

Meanwhile Israel helped ease the heightened atmosphere in the West Bank as the army lifted travel restrictions imposed on residents of West Bank towns for Arafat's funeral, held Friday.

Restrictions remained on the towns of Nablus and Jenin, an army spokeswoman said Saturday, because the army believed anti-Israeli attacks were being prepared. A ban on Palestinian residents entering Israel from the occupied territories also remains in force.

In another sign of efforts to kickstart the peace process, Egypt announced that Foreign Minister Abul Gheit's delayed visit to Israel would take place on November 24.

Meanwhile Palestinians began preparing for an election to choose a successor to Yasser Arafat as sombre prayers were said at the graveside of the leader who spearheaded their fight for an independent homeland.

Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei said a presidential election would go ahead before January 9 as prescribed by Palestinian basic law, and called for a global effort to help jumpstart the stalled Middle East peace process.

In Washington, US President George W. Bush pledged he would mobilize the international community to work towards the creation of a Palestinian state.

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