Nothing scares Israel more than peace. Note the use of the word "alleged" near the end of this article.
Israel ignores plea to seat Palestinians at talks
Britain issues appeal to Sharon
Slobodan Lekic - Associated Press
Thursday, January 9, 2003
Jerusalem --- Israel stood firm Wednesday on its decision to bar a Palestinian delegation from attending a London peace conference, shrugging off British and European Union protests and intense domestic criticism.
Israel rebuffed an appeal by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to reconsider the ban, souring Israel's relations with the European nation that has been most sympathetic to Israel during more than two years of fighting with Palestinians.
The Israeli move will almost certainly scuttle the planned conference, which had been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday and was to have focused on a possible truce and reforms of the Palestinian Authority. Foreign ministers of Britain, Greece, Jordan and Saudi Arabia also were to have attended the discussions, but Israel was not invited.
In France, the elite University of Paris VI has mounted a campaign to cut off exchanges with Israeli universities because of the conflict with the Palestinians.
The move prompted an outcry from French politicians and Jewish groups and criticism from the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Two Israeli newspapers reported that a letter from Blair to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, again asking him to rescind the decision, was to be delivered Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Blair --- who sponsored the conference --- appealed to Sharon to reverse the ban, which was a response to Sunday's suicide bombings that killed 22 people in Tel Aviv.
A failure of the conference would be a serious blow to Blair, who has staked much political prestige on the success of the talks. He already has come under intense criticism for his support of the United States in its confrontation with Iraq.
In London, Rosemary Hollis, head of the Middle East program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, said the setback was alarming for the British government because it underlined a fundamental difference between the European approach to reforming the Palestinian Authority, and the U.S. and Israeli policy of sidelining Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's administration because of its alleged links with terrorism.
The Israeli media have speculated that Sharon was upset with Blair for refusing to see Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in London last week, while agreeing to host the leader of the opposition Labor Party, Amram Mitzna, with Jan. 28 elections approaching.
Media reports also claimed the government was furious at Britain's decision to block exports of critical spare parts for Israel's Phantom fighter planes because of alleged [...ROFL!!!...] human rights abuses by Israeli troops in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
