Three senior Fatah leaders, one of whom helped reach a deal with Israeli opposition figures last week, were to leave for Washington early Sunday for urgent talks with top US officials, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The invitation, which came as a surprise to the Fatah officials, was extended on Saturday evening. Ahmed Ghnaim, Kadoura Fares, and Hatem Abdel Kader were issued visas by the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem. A fourth, Muhammad Hourani, was invited but did not plan to go.

Fares and Hourani were both key figures in the Palestinian delegation that hammered out the Geneva Initiative with an Israeli delegation comprising politicians and intellectuals led by Yossi Beilin in Jordan last week.

The invitation to Washington came a few days after Israel protested against the Swiss involvement in the initiative.

Former Labor Party leader MK Amram Mitzna said that the Israelis involved, including himself, would likely also travel to Washington in the coming weeks to discuss the initiative with top officials...