No fewer than 15 Arab countries plus the Palestinians regularly meet with Israeli representatives to discuss vital regional issues like water and economic development.

In 1996 he returned to diplomacy and briefly served as the Israeli representative to the New York branch of the United Nations.

The Syrian official spoke to reporters after five hours of direct talks with Israeli representatives.

Syria has already said it will not attend the third conference, or even shake hands with the Israeli representative.

Israeli representatives assert meanwhile that the debate over water has been skewed by the Arabs' emphasis on disparities in consumption.

The firm is the exclusive Israeli representative of Terralex, one of the two largest international independent associations of law firms.

Mr. Arafat offered to meet Israeli representatives in the Soviet capital.

The threat made by Israeli representatives that the European role in the peace process should be conditional upon the solution of trade differences is unacceptable.

He also served as the Israeli representative at the Hague Convention.

"Many of them avoided the Israeli representatives waiting next to the train like they were the plague," Israel Radio reported.