Comments by a senior advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that Israel would concede most of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem for a peace accord with the Palestinians continued to draw reactions from Sharon’s political opponents one day after the publication of the remarks in Newsweek.
American magazine Newsweek
| Newsweek Report |
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| Likud: Sharon will divide Jerusalem / Ilan Marciano |
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Netanyahu’s 1996 campaign slogan, ‘Peres will divide Jerusalem,’ making a comeback following Newsweek report that prime minister willing to concede parts of Jerusalem; Sharon’s office denies report |
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A statement issued on behalf of Sharon was broadcast on Channel 1.
“The comments attributed to Gayer contradict my opinion, and if Mr. Gayer did in fact say what is attributed to him, his comments nonsensical. The Road Map is the political plan to which we are committed and a united Jerusalem will remain Israel’s capital forever.”
Channel 1 also quoted Gayer as saying, “I never attributed a policy that included concession of the kind to Sharon. All I said was that there is an array of ideas circulating in Israel and I have no idea how the journalist interpreted concessions like these as a Sharon policy.”
Sharon aides rushed to downplay the political damage done to Sharon and his new party Kadima, saying “this is a tiny point that is journalistic and not political in essence.”
Haim Ramon a dove in Kadima who defected from Labor told Army Radio Wednesday that all moderate Israeli are willing to concede parts of east Jerusalem for peace with the Palestinians.
“I do not know one moderate
man who wants to keep Arab areas like a-Ram as parts of Jerusalem. That’s a mistake,” Ramon said.
“Jerusalem will not be divided and it is irrelevant who says what about this issue. That’s the prime minister’s position,” a Kadima member who defected from Likud said in response.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who used the slogan “Peres will divide Jerusalem” during his 1996 elections campaign, is set to use the slogan again in the campaign against Sharon, if he wins the Likud primaries.
Netanyahu himself, responding to the report, told Likud activists during a meeting in Netanya that “the secret is out.”
“Sharon’s people are exposing what he’s trying to hide, but everyone already knows – Sharon will divide Jerusalem and bring the Palestinians to the 1967 borders,” Netanyahu said.
Efrat Weiss contributed to this report
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