Israeli president invites Arafat to home - paper .
JERUSALEM 1996-08-25
Israeli President Ezer Weizman has invited Yasser Arafat to meet him at his private home , Israel 's biggest newspaper said on Sunday .
The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who has said he has no desire to hold talks with the Palestinian president , opposes the meeting due to be held this coming week .
The newspaper said Weizman scheduled the meeting at his private residence in the central Israeli village of Caesarea after Arafat sent him an emotional appeal " to save the peace process " .
Netanyahu met Weizman last Tuesday and voiced his opposition , Yedioth said .
" I am prepared to postpone the meeting under one condition -- that you give me a commitment right now to meet Arafat yourself within 10 days , " the paper quoted Weizman as telling Netanyahu .
It said Netanyahu had yet to give Weizman an answer .
The office of Israeli president is largely ceremonial .
But Weizman , a former defence minister and an architect of Israel 's peace treaty with Egypt , has spoken out frequently on the peace process with the Palestinians -- at times urging the former Labour government to slow it down .