Former Minister Saleh Tarif
Photo: Haim Ziv
Former minister asked to relay message to Abbas
Ynet learns Defense Minister Barak sent Saleh Tarif to urge Palestinian president to resume peace talks with Israel. Meanwhile, efforts to convince Palestinian to restart negotiations continue via US and European countries
Former Minister Saleh Tarif was sent last week to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
with a message urging him to restart peace negotiations with Israel,
Ynet has learned.
This mission is part of the direct talks Barak has been holding with Palestinian Authority leaders, despite the apparent lack of dialogue between the sides, as Abbas refuses to resume the direct and open negotiations with Israel.
Tarif was sent by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who coordinates his moves with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Abbas' response to the relayed message is still unclear.
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The defense minister has been holding most of the talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, on the phone. However, on the backdrop of the cabinet's decision to freeze construction in the settlements for 10 months, and the Israeli attempt to restart the peace process with the Palestinians, he decided to send an emissary to Abbas. Tarif, who served as minister-without-portfolio in Ariel Sharon's first government, was chosen for the mission.
Tarif, a resident of the northern Druze village of Julis, left politics in January 2002. In 2004, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison – six in community service and 18 months on probation, after he was convicted of giving a bribe in order to arrange an Israeli identity card for a Palestinian citizen.
Meanwhile, the efforts to resume negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians continue on different levels. State officials in Jerusalem said Saturday evening that they were optimistic as to the possibility that such talks would be launched.
The sources noted, however, that no timetable has been set for resuming the direct negotiations between the sides. The United States and European countries, led by France, are involved in the efforts to restart the talks.
Tarif was unavailable for comment on Saturday evening. The defense minister's office refused to respond to the report.
