Sharon admits Palestinian talks
2003-10-31 14:11
Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said contacts were still underway with Palestinian officials, a day after a fierce debate erupted over his tough policies towards the Palestinians.
The Israeli premier told a gathering of businessmen in Tel Aviv on Thursday night that he was ready to negotiate at any time and admitted to ongoing contact with some officials.
"There are contacts but not at prime minister level, at the request of the Palestinians who say (prime minister) Ahmed Qorei must above all consolidate his position," he said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's top adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina confirmed the contacts but dismissed Sharon's announcement as "not serious and domestically motivated".
In a rare reversal of roles, Sharon had come under fire from the country's top brass this week over his uncompromising attitude towards the Palestinians.
His remark on Thursday was a direct response to Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon's accusation that his refusal to curb restrictions on the Palestinians early enough had undermined the position of Qorei's moderate predecessor, Mahmud Abbas.
Sources close to Sharon quoted by radio on Thursday said the prime minister now considered the matter closed and was not seeking any disciplinary action against Yaalon, having first sought an apology and even the officer's resignation.
The army chief was summoned by Sharon's hardline defence minister Shaul Mofaz, who scolded him over his subversive comments but obtained no apology or retraction.
But Yaalon's comments also appeared to have swayed Mofaz, who decided to allow Gaza MPs to travel to the West Bank and attend a vote of confidence for Qorei's government line-up.
The mandate of the emergency government declared last month will expire next week and a full-fledged cabinet is due to be submitted to the deputies.
Yaalon's remarks had come as Sharon, whose popularity ratings are dropping fast, was under increased domestic criticism over his lack of efforts to seek peaceful solutions while failing to restore security through military options.
An unofficial peace plan drafted by Palestinian figures and Israeli left-wingers - the so-called "Geneva initiative" - is gathering momentum.
Its Israeli authors, which include prominent members of the opposition, said it was launched partly to fill the peace vacuum left by Sharon and right-wing government.
A mass rally planned in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to mark the eighth anniversary of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination could herald a revival of the moribund Israeli peace camp.