Sharon: Road Map only viable plan
Prime minister dismisses his advisor’s remarks regarding possibility that Israel would consider another disengagement in the future; says, ‘U.S. representatives expressed their astonishment at the possibility that Israel would change the agreed-upon plan’
The Road Map for Peace is the only viable diplomatic plan, and we will not advance any others, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday.
Sharon, speaking at the Israeli Center for Administration conference in Tel Aviv, addressed the statements made by his advisor Eyal Arad, who said that another disengagement should be considered in the future.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) a baseless rumor spread as though Israel will examine other diplomatic plans,” the prime minister said.
“There is only the Road Map; it is the only plan that exists, and there is no better plan for Israel’s future.”
Sharon added that he had to put many people at ease following his advisor’s remarks.
“On Wednesday several ambassadors phone the Prime Minister’s Office to find out whether there is another plan. U.S. representatives expressed their astonishment at the possibility that Israel would change the agreed-upon plan,” he said.
Sharon addresses Israeli Center for Administration (Photo: Kobi Kantor)
“There is only one plan, and that is the Road Map for Peace.”
'Palestinians must disarm'
Sharon also took the opportunity to ridicule arch-rival Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “There are those who make minor decisions, but sometimes it is necessary to make decisions that will change the face of the organization.”
“It is also important to be able to carry out the decision; this is the type of leadership Israel needs,” he added.
The prime minister continued to praise the recent disengagement from Gaza and parts of the West Bank: Israel has a unique opportunity due to the disengagement plan. The international community has accepted our position that without security for Israel there will be no diplomatic progress. We saw what happened in Ireland during the past few days, where they insisted on the disarmament of illegal weapons; I plan to insist on this as well. Only when the Palestinians do this will we be able to resume negotiations.
However, Vice Premier Shimon Peres said during an interview with a Kuwait newspaper that if the Palestinians succeed in the Gaza test case, this “would encourage Israel to make additional sacrifices for peace.”
Arab Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi said in response to Sharon’s statements that “peace and security will not exist without a full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.”
“The immediate danger for the eruption of another confrontation is the continued settlement in the West Bank, the construction of the security wall and populating east Jerusalem with Jews,” he said.
Meretz-Yahad Party Chairman Yossi Beilin said, “The prime minister’s remarks prove that the Road Map has become a way for him to avoid continued diplomatic activity.”
“Sharon believes that he can calm the situation by freezing the diplomatic process and resorting to artillery fire and targeted killings,” he said.
Arad said Wednesday, “If we will see that the freezing (of the diplomatic process) persists we may consider turning the disengagement into a strategy.”
“Israel will determine its borders in an independent manner,” he said.
