Former Israeli Prime Minister Barak recounts 2001 Clinton call and disputes New York Times report on peace summit

Former Israeli Prime Minister Barak recounts 2001 Clinton call and disputes New York Times report on peace summit The passage provides a personal recollection by a former head of state about a high‑level phone call with a U.S. president and disputes a media account. It mentions Barak, Clinton, Arafet and Sharon, offering a potential lead to verify the content of the call and the alleged back‑channel discussions, but lacks concrete details such as dates, documents, or financial transactions. The claim is of moderate investigative interest and could merit follow‑up for verification, but it is not a novel revelation and the controversy is limited to historical narrative. Key insights: Barak says he received a phone call from President Clinton in summer 2001.; Barak disputes a New York Times article by Deborah Sontag that quoted Arafat as asking him to block Sharon’s Temple Mount visit.; Barak claims Arafat never raised the issue and that Israeli officials consulted the West Bank security chief to manage the situation.