The Arab League has issued a hard line statement demanding that Israel accept peace on Syria's terms and calling for all 22 member nations to pull out of any international meeting which Israel attends. Israeli PM Barak has more problems than just this. His poll numbers are down from 53% to 45%, and the number of Israelis who refuse to accept a peace deal on the current terms has increased from 53% in December to 59% now. In the meantime, Yassar Arafat is being told by his staff that he cannot afford to back down again (as he did in May 99) on his promise to declare a Palestinian state by Sept 2000. --Stephen V Cole