Enemies in the Middle East

More Israelis died and were injured by a suicide bomb today

Twenty-four hours ago, an historic consensus for a Middle East peace-plan was agreed by the Arab summit in Beirut.

Yet today the situation appears to be escalating yet again.

This morning there was another Palestinian suicide bomb explosion in a shopping-centre on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

At least three people, including the female bomber, were killed and many more were injured.

The Al-Aqsa Brigade, an organisation linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement has claimed responsibility.

And Israeli troops have spent the morning occupying and shelling Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah on the West Bank.

The rhetoric from both sides has been aggressive - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon referred to Mr Arafat as "the enemy" and vowed to "isolate" him.

Palestinians remain defiant - Yasser Arafat said Arabs would never surrender and would produce "martyrs in millions" if needed.

Bitter enmity

This latest twist in the spiralling violence in the Middle East betrays the personal vendetta between Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, and the man who would be leader of a future Palestinian state, Yasser Arafat.

Both men are now in their seventies, and their mutual enmity spans decades - through key episodes such as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, led by the then Defence Minister, Ariel Sharon.

Said Aburish, Yasser Arafat's biographer, charted the two men's stormy personal relationship for The World at One.

He said that the antagonism between Mr Sharon and Mr Arafat was a barrier to progress in peace talks, and that two other leaders might achieve more success.