Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, will not propose a 'severe' military response to Tuesday's suicide bombing in Rishon Letzion in which 16 people were killed, Israeli government sources said Wednesday.
The prime minister, who cut short his trip to the United States after hearing of the attack, arrived back in Israel Wednesday evening and immediately convened his extended security cabinet, Haaretz reported.
Earlier Wednesday, sources in Sharon's entourage to Washington said that U.S. President George Bush had agreed that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians must wait until internal reforms within the PA have brought about a governing body that "would be headed by a different person or different people" than the current leader, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
"It was clear that the chief [Arafat] must be moved to a different role within the PA, customarily to a symbolic position and the administrative responsibilities would be transferred to others," the sources said.
Sharon will not present the extended security cabinet with a proposal to expel Arafat. Instead, he is predicted to adopt an American plan calling for structural changes that would lead to Arafat's removal from power.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres warned against exiling Arafat, ahead of the emergency cabinet meeting.
"Expelling him would be impractical and harmful at this time because Yasser Arafat in exile would be make even more trouble," said Peres.
Peres warned banishment "would be a violation of commitments made by Israel towards the United States not to attack Arafat or to restrict his freedom of movement."
According to the Israeli media, Bush and his advisors have proposed the establishment of a temporary government within the PA until a constitution is drawn up and elections are held.
The reports said that Bush also agreed that Israel would not hold talks with the PA until it has completed its internal reforms. The president did demand, however, that once the reforms have been carried out, the two sides must hold talks that would eventually lead to a final settlement.
Earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said if Israel is serious about establishing peace, it must deal with Arafat.
Mubarak said Sharon was "free to say whatever he wants." "But if you are serious about peace, then you must deal with the elected authority until you reach an agreement and you restart the peace process. Things will change alone (after that)," he told reporters after inaugurating a water station outside Cairo.
A change in the leadership should be left to the Palestinian people, Mubarak commented. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
