DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We move on now to the Middle East, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is promising to shape up his government in a speech today. He also, though, blames Israel for much of the current crisis. Details from our CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief, Mike Hanna.</s>MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): It was a wide-ranging speech from the Palestinian leader. As expected, sharp criticism of the Israeli government, in particular for its military operations of recent weeks. And for its ongoing occupation that Yasser Arafat said prevented many members of the Palestinian legislative council from attending the session in the West Bank city of Ramallah. But also from Yasser Arafat an acknowledgment of major short comings within the Palestinian administration and the pledge and the promise to reform the Palestinian Authority on several levels: economic, social and political. Also, the pledge that the framework within which this reform should happen is that of democracy, saying that there is a need for elections, but not giving any timetable for such elections. Also from Yasser Arafat, a restatement of his demands that all attacks against Israeli civilians stop, as well as the demand that Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians comes to an end. Reactions from Palestinians, while ambivalent, initially, many members of the legislative council saying that it is welcomed as a statement of intent to reform the Palestinian Authority, but what Palestinian s are looking for, according to some members, is immediate and concrete steps taken along these lines. Immediate reaction from Israel, one of dismissal. A spokesman for the Israeli government saying that these words have been heard before from Yasser Arafat, but the actions are still to be forthcoming. Nonetheless, it was a wide-ranging statement from Arafat touching on many issues that have been at the center of increasingly public debate in the Palestinian society. These issues dealing with the efficacy, the honesty and the good administration of the Palestinian Authority; the pledge from the Palestinian leader that these issues will be dealt with in days and weeks ahead. Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.
Arafat Promises Reform in Speech Today