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November 15, 2002/Kislev 10 5763, Vol. 55, No. 12
Israeli politicians spar over U.S. plan
NAOMI SEGAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - An American "road map" for Israel-Palestinian peace is becoming a political hot potato for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
On the one hand, Sharon, who has been trying to keep relations with Washington smooth in advance of a possible U.S. attack on Iraq, does not want to oppose the U.S. peace plan.
On the other hand, with Israeli elections some three months away, he wants Israeli voters to know that he is not enamored of the plan.
Further complicating the situation, he has to deal with the criticism of the plan sounded by his newly appointed defense and foreign ministers.
During the weekly Cabinet meeting Nov. 10, Sharon prevented Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz from answering when he was asked by Cabinet member Yitzhak Levy to explain his objections to the U.S. plan.
Israeli newspapers had quoted Mofaz as saying he did not think the road map addresses Israeli security concerns.
Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been equally critical of the U.S. plan.
In his first comments after being sworn in as foreign minister last week, Netan-yahu said the road map was "not on the agenda" because of the anticipated U.S. attack on Iraq.
Hours after making the statement, Netanyahu was rebuked by Sharon.
Over the weekend, Net-anyahu shifted his stance somewhat, saying that despite his own position regarding the road map, he did not intend to take any steps to change government policy in the time leading up to the elections.
The road map envisions a provisional Palestinian state by 2003 and full independence by 2005, provided they crack down on terror and reform their government.
Israel has said it cannot accept the U.S. plan in its present form, arguing that progress is not linked strongly enough to Palestinian security performance.
Israeli officials have expressed their reservations in meetings with U.S. officials. The Palestinians are still working on their response to the road map.
Political observers doubt much progress will be made on the U.S. initiative before the Israeli elections.
In a separate development, former Foreign Minister Shimon Peres of Labor is reportedly planning to renew contacts with Palestinian Authority official Ahmed Karia to complete the outlines of a peace plan before the elections.
Peres hopes the Labor Party will advocate such a plan during the election campaign, the Israeli daily Ma'ariv reported.
U.S. envoy David Satter-field is visiting the region this week to promote the U.S. road map.
But as Israeli officials ponder how to deal with the diplomatic initiative, they also have domestic political considerations very much in mind.
After three years on the political sidelines, Netanyahu is now making a bid to unseat Sharon as leader of the Likud Party.
On Nov. 10, the two agreed to hold the Likud primary on Nov. 28.
Two recent polls of the Likud leadership race have shown contradictory results.
A survey of 500 Likud members, published Nov. 8 in the Israeli daily Ma'ariv, showed Sharon leading Netanyahu, 48 percent to 38 percent.
However, a poll by the Midgam Research company, published Nov. 8 in the Jerusalem Post, indicated Netanyahu slightly ahead, with 40.9 percent of the vote to Sharon's 40.5 percent. Both surveys had an error margin of about 4.5 percent.
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