Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat shake hands in public for the first time

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The Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, have shaken hands before cheering crowds on the White House lawn in Washington.

The handshake - the first ever in public between the two former arch enemies - marked the signing of a Declaration of Principles for peace between the Arabs and Israelis.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel has agreed to withdraw its troops from Gaza Strip and West Bank by April 1994. Elections will be held in the territories to allow the Palestinians some form of self-government.

A deadline for a final settlement has been set for February 1999.

The deal has only been made possible by talks brokered by the Norwegians earlier in the year - and by the election of Mr Rabin's Labour government which includes the pro-peace campaigners Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin.

President Bill Clinton introduced the two leaders to the crowd of invited guests in front of the White House. By his side, were former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George Bush who had vigorously campaigned for peace during their terms in office.

Mr Clinton said: "The peace of the brave is within our reach. Throughout the Middle East there is a great yearning for the quiet miracle of a normal life.

"We know a difficult road lies ahead. Every peace has its enemies."

The leaders did not sign the declaration themselves. Instead, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart did the signing.

Mr Rabin then addressed the crowd: "We who have fought against you the Palestinians, we say to you today in a loud and clear voice, enough of blood and tears, enough."

Mr Arafat said: "The difficult decision we reached together was one that required great courage."

The BBC's correspondent John Simpson said Mr Arafat had undoubtedly put his life on the line for this agreement. 

Ian Duncan Smith won 61% of the vote

Iain Duncan Smith won 61% of the votes, soundly beating his rival Ken Clarke in a ballot of over 300,000 Tory members.

The result was due to be announced on 12 September, but was delayed because of the terror attacks in the United States.

Mr Duncan Smith is the third Tory leader in four years after William Hague stepped down in the wake of the Conservatives' defeat on 7 June.

Mr Duncan Smith announced his top team soon after the result was published:

Michael Howard: shadow chancellor
Michael Ancram: shadow foreign secretary
David Davis: party chairman

His choice of two beaten contenders - Mr Ancram and Mr Davis - was designed to help heal some of the deep rifts which still plague the party.

But some Tory MPs are nervous that the rebel who publicly opposed the government policy on Europe during John Major's premiership should now be leading the party.

Anthony Steen, Conservative MP for Totnes, said he doubted the Eurosceptic Mr Duncan Smith could lead the party to election victory.

"If he can rid himself of his extreme right-wing image, I think he stands a very much better chance," he told the BBC.

The new Tory chief faces the prime minister for the first time on 14 September in a House of Commons emergency debate about the attack on America.

But he pledged his support for Tony Blair in his first public speech as leader.

"My party will stand shoulder to shoulder with the prime minister and his government in supporting our friends and allies in the US during this tragic time," he said.

arch: chief; eminent; greatest; principal（主要的）

yearning: full of longing or unfulfilled desire（向往）

rift: a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)（不和）

plague: cause to suffer a blight（折磨；使苦恼）