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November 9, 2001/Cheshvan 23, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 9
Sharon, Peres study peace moves
MITCHELL DANOW
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - Despite a daily drumbeat of terror and death in the Middle East, efforts continue to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough.
In the past week, for example, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat met twice, and Peres reportedly presented a peace plan to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The timing of the diplomatic push may not be coincidental, coming days before the U.N. General Assembly convenes here on Nov. 10.
On Nov. 6, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported that Arafat may unilaterally declare a Palestinian state at the General Assembly, believing he will receive wide backing.
Peres said he does not know about such plans, but that Arafat would "be taking a huge risk, because it will be a Palestinian state without borders."
There have been reports for more than a week that Peres was drafting a peace initiative. On Nov. 4, according to Ha'aretz, he presented it to Sharon.
According to Ha'aretz, the Peres plan includes the following:
- A demilitarized Palestinian state will be created, with its borders determined through negotiations;
- Buffer zones will be created between Israel and the West Bank;
- The plan would be implemented first in the Gaza Strip, later in the West Bank;
- The status quo will remain in Jerusalem, including Palestinian control over the Temple Mount;
- Palestinian refugees will not return to homes they abandoned in Israel during the 1948 war. An international panel will be created to arrange compensation for Palestinian refugees, as well as for Jewish refugees from Arab countries.
As Sharon studies Peres' proposals, he knows that his unity government could hang in the balance. Avigdor Lieberman, head of the hawkish National Unity bloc, threatened Nov. 6 to leave the government if Sharon accepts the Peres plan.
On the other hand, Peres is under increasing pressure from his Labor Party to pull out of the government unless Sharon shows he is serious about entering negotiations with the Palestinians.
In the meantime, the violence continues.
In the bloodiest such incident this week, a Palestinian gunman opened fire Nov. 4 on a bus in the French Hill neighborhood of northern Jerusalem.
Two people were killed and some 50 injured when the gunman sprayed the No. 25 Egged bus with fire from an M-16 automatic rifle at the afternoon rush hour.
On Nov. 5, three Israelis were wounded when a bomb exploded in an Israeli settlement near the West Bank city of Jenin.
In other violence, Palestinian gunmen shot and killed an Israeli soldier, Staff Sgt. Raz Mintz, 19, of Haifa Nov. 2.
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