Israel is criticizing Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat for saying he would declare an independent state Sept. 13, the deadline for reaching a final accord, regardless of the state of negotiations. Arafat held talks in Ramallah with Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, in the highest-level public contact between the two sides since the talks broke off nearly a month ago.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.