TEHRAN Some Arab countries are trying to compromise the rights of the Palestinian people by urging them to sit at the negotiating table with the Zionist occupiers and submit to their dictates.

The officials of these countries have recently been calling on the U.S. to resume the so-called peace talks between the two sides on an Egyptian-Jordanian peace deal. This is despite the fact that the U.S. administration has clearly shown that it is not an impartial mediator, but is totally biased in favor of the occupier Zionist entity.

The Overseas Service of the IRIB interviewed the Undersecretary General of the Islamic Jihad of Palestine (IJP), Abu Tariq, and asked for his views in this regard.

As regards the attitude of the IJP toward the recent meeting between Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Ahmad bin Jasem, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Washington, which was aimed at urging the U.S. administration to once again impose the so-called peace process on the Palestinian people, Abu Tariq said, "What Qatari foreign minister did was unexpected, especially after Qatar promised the Islamic world to close down the Zionist commercial offices just before it took over the presidency of the Organization of Islamic Conference. Unfortunately, Qatar did not keep its promise."

Referring to the official position of the Arab world on this issue, he said, "In general, the stance taken by the Arab world on this issue is weak and in contrast to the position adopted by the Palestinian people. This is why the Zionist regime has been encouraged to escalate its suppression of Palestinians in the occupied lands."

Considering that the Intifada, or general uprising, of Palestinians has yielded some positive results, as it has forced the Zionists to admit that peace and security cannot be restored in the region unless the Palestinian rights are restored, he was asked why this is ignored by some Arab officials, who are still calling for resumption of the so-called peace talks.

In response, he said, "This is mostly due to the submission of these countries to the United States and Zionist entity. The fact is that the only objective that the Zionist regime pursues through these negotiations is putting an end to the uprising of the Palestinians. The Zionists are not after peace, but only aim to Judaize the Muslim territories and promote their expansionist policies."

In conclusion, Abu Tariq said, "Arab countries are not capable of facing the Zionist enemy either politically or militarily. Thus, by reviving the so-called peace talks, they intend to cover up their weakness."

Meanwhile, as killings continued in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

At the top of their agenda was a U.S.-led committee's report into more than seven months of Israeli-Palestinian violence in which at least 404 Palestinians, 13 Israeli Arabs and 76 Zionists have been killed, presidential sources said.

On Friday, Israel and the Palestinian Authority received draft copies of the report by a five-man international fact-finding group led by former U.S. senator George Mitchell.

Both sides said they would study the findings and issue responses by May 15 which may be included in the final report.

The report did not apportion blame for the bloodshed but said Israel should have considered the effect of a visit by Ariel Sharon -- subsequently elected prime minister -- to a Bait-ul-Moqaddas holy site.

The clashes began in September, in the vacuum of deadlocked peace negotiations, after Sharon visited the Haram al-Sharif, sacred to both Jews and Muslims.

Israeli soldiers shot dead an Islamic jihad militant near the West Bank town of Bethlehem early on Saturday.

Palestinian medical sources and witnesses said Israeli special forces had fired more than 20 bullets at Ahmed Khalil Esaa Ismail, 35, in the village of Ertass, close to Bethlehem.

In a statement faxed to Reuters in Beirut, Islamic jihad said Esaa Ismail was a political activist who had spent eight years in Israeli jails. It warned it would retaliate.

The Palestinians accused Israel of a deliberate assassination. Israel maintains the right to strike at Palestinians planning or executing attacks, but denies that this amounts to a policy of assassination.

The Israel Army said it had "no record" of an operation or disturbances in the area where Esaa Ismail was killed. Islamic jihad has been behind attacks in the past that have killed scores of Israelis.

The Head of Palestinian Intelligence in the West Bank, Tawfiq Tirawi, said Israeli tanks on Saturday had set alight 10 mobile trailers used by Palestinian intelligence in Jericho.

In the meantime, a top Lebanese cleric on Friday called baseless the American allegations against Iran. The United States had mentioned Iran in its recent list of terrorists.

Allamah Seyed Mohammed Hossein Fadhlallah said, "Iran is a supporter of freedom," adding that the U.S. considers all freedom-seekers as terrorists.

Meanwhile on a Thursday meeting of Qatari foreign minister with Peres, Seyed Hossein Fadhlallah rebuked the meeting saying that as the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Qatar has undermined resolutions of the organization.