Israel criticises roadmap for peace
Israeli Foreign Ministry Daniel Taub last night said his country remained committed to implementing the US-backed “roadmap” for peace in the Middle East, but warned it was looking at an embryonic “plan B.”
Yesterday a major policy speech by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was interpreted as suggesting he was considering unilateral plans to redraw the political map in Palestine and Israel.
A hawkish Mr Sharon suggested Israel may reappropriate land from Palestinians in a radical partition of West bank and Gaza Strip.
He said Israel would not wait “indefinitely” for Palestinians to tackle terror groups and implied unilateral action could occur within three months.
The leader said Israel may start a “disengagement plan” running alongside the road map.
Mr Taub told Newsnight Mr Sharon wanted to reach a lasting peace with Palestinians by a mutual affirmation of the road map.
“I think we agree with the White House and the international community that our preference by a long shot is to carry on with the roadmap.”
But Mr Taub warned that with nearly 1000 Israelis killed in the last three years alone by “acts of Palestinian terrorism,” the Jewish state had to have a “plan B.”
“What Prime Minister Sharon was saying is if the Palestinians don’t come forward and do what they promised to do, this is our plan B.”
Mohammed al-Hindi, a leader of the Palestinian terror group Islamic Jihad, said Sharon’s “threats” would be a “recipe for more violence.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said he was disappointed to hear that Sharon was again “threatening” Palestinians.
